On January 20th and 21st, in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and the Japan Patent Office, WIPO organized a workshop for Cambodian trademark agents on using the Madrid System.
Approximately 20 agents attended the two-day event at the Sunway Hotel in Phnom Penh. The sessions were lead by an officer from WIPO Legal Division, an officer from JPO Trademark Division, a Japanese attorney from Isshiki & Co, as well as officials from the Cambodian Department of Intellectual Property. They covered practical topics such as trademark information searches, requirements for international application, the role of the International Bureau of WIPO, the role of the designated contracting party, role of trademark agent/attorney in responding to office actions, and management of international registrations.
It has been less than a year since Cambodia joined the Madrid System, so it was very helpful to have this additional training and perspective from Japanese experts. Cambodia has received approximately 800 international applications through the Madrid System so far. Cambodian applicants are still waiting for the necessary procedures to be in place in order to access the Madrid System, which should hopefully happen in the first part of this year.
For more about the Cambodian trademark system, please refer to our Guide to Trademark Law in Cambodia.