Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No. 7/2019—Myanmar’s Patent Law—was enacted on March 11, 2019, providing a framework for the protection of inventions related to products and processes. This is the first legislation specifically addressing the protection of patents in the history of Myanmar.The law will be administered by the Directorate of Patents of the Intellectual Property Office, to be established under the Ministry of Commerce, and implementing regulations will be issued in due course.Overview

On December 11, 2018, the Board of Investment (BOI) issued two new announcements: one canceling the International Headquarters (IHQ) and International Trade Centers (ITC) categories of activities for investment promotion, and one introducing a new category called International Business Centers (IBCs).

As the issue of counterfeiting continues to evolve, savvy brand owners are taking innovative approaches to intellectual property protection to meet their shifting needs. One such approach aims to resolve a key issue faced by brand owners: the variable effectiveness of government officials in taking action against counterfeits. Companies face understandable frustration when they perceive that different government agencies or officials may be less effective in enforcing the law, and they too often feel as though this issue is outside of their control.

The recent live shredding of a Banksy painting by its frame at a Sotheby’s auction served as a strong reminder of the interplay between art and copyright. Shortly after the Banksy print entitled “Girl with Balloon” was sold, the frame in which it was housed proceeded to shred half the work in front of the auction attendees. This event raised numerous questions. Would the buyer still want the piece? Was Banksy entitled to destroy his work after it had been sold? Is the purchaser of a work of art allowed to do whatever they want with it, including mutilate or destroy the work?

On January 28, 2019, Thailand’s National Council for Peace and Order issued Order No. 1/2562 (the Order) granting the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) the right to suspend cannabis-related patent applications on legal grounds. This development is in response to the ongoing legalization of medical cannabis in Thailand, and has raised a number of thought-provoking issues.The NCPO Order    

Since its initial enactment in 1997, Cambodian Labor Law has remained largely untouched. However, with recent amendments introduced by the government in the past year, Cambodia’s Labor Law is now witnessing the most significant changes in its 22-year history. Starting in mid-2018, a number of pro-employee initiatives were introduced in an attempt to bolster and improve Cambodian Labor Law and the benefits provided to the workforce.

On December 28, 2018, the Trade Competition Commission (TCC) published notifications related to merger control under Section 51 of the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017) (TCA) in the Government Gazette. They came into effect on the following day, December 29, 2018. Among other things, the notifications provide much-needed definitions for key terms relating to merger control, including: