On January 30, 2019, Myanmar’s long-awaited Industrial Design Law—the first legislation specifically addressing the protection of industrial designs in the jurisdiction’s history—was passed into law.The law lays out a comprehensive framework for the protection of rights over the external visual design of objects (i.e. the aesthetic design, rather than the practical). It will be implemented through administrative bodies (particularly the Intellectual Property Office) and enabling legislation that will be established and implemented in due course.Overview

On January 24, 2019, the Bank of Thailand issued a regulation relaxing the qualifications and operational requirements for international money transfer service providers, with the aim of increasing flexibility for the benefit of consumers, and encouraging participation by new service providers. The new regulation took effect on January 31, 2019.The key amendments are as follows:Foreign Shareholding Restriction

Thailand’s labour laws have long been known for the strength of protections afforded to employees. Continuing this trend, a slew of new amendments to the Labour Protection Act (LPA), passed on December 13, 2018, will further enhance worker protection, improve working conditions, and impose sanctions on employers who fail to uphold them.The updates to Thailand’s labour law will come into effect 30 days after its publication in the Government Gazette, which is expected to be in early 2019. The key changes are summarized below:

The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) issued Circular Letter 1/2019 on January 29, 2019, stating that domestic private banks will now be able to accept up to 35% equity investments from foreign banks and financial institutions. The Circular Letter comes into effect immediately.Domestic private banks that wish to accept foreign investments under the circular are required to submit a set of documents to the CBM, including a copy of the mutual agreement describing the equity investment ratio, the terms and conditions of the investment, and others.

Myanmar’s long-awaited Trademark Law was signed into law on January 30, 2019, establishing the framework for a comprehensive trademark registration system open to both foreign and domestic trademark owners.Once the administrative bodies and enabling legislation to support this system are in place, all existing trademark owners who have recorded their rights under Myanmar’s old system will have to file new applications to protect their marks under the new law.Overview of the New Law

Following the United States’ high-profile withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2017, the remaining members agreed to move forward with a revised trade agreement called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. The CPTPP came into force on 30 December 2018 between the first six signatories, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Singapore. Vietnam, the seventh country to ratify the new agreement, officially joined the CPTPP on 14 January 2019.

On December 31, 2018, the Vietnamese government promulgated Decree No. 169/2018/ND-CP (Decree 169), amending Decree No. 36/2017/ND-CP (Decree 36) on medical device management. Decree 169 took immediate effect upon its issuance. The new regulations will have a great impact on the circulation of medical devices, especially foreign products, in Vietnam. Some of the major changes are set out below.Classification of Medical Devices

Content on demand and video on demand, also known as OTT (over-the-top) TV services, quickly generated interest and support from local users after entering Vietnam.