Ever-increasing internet penetration and the proliferation of constant connectivity have sparked new intellectual property protection concerns in recent years. With the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia projected to reach USD 102 billion by 2025, online infringement threatens to dampen this economic surge, and rights holder must rise to meet these new challenges in addition to their conventional methods of combatting infringement.

On December 6, 2019, the Notification Regarding the Guidelines for the Consideration of Unfair Trade Practices in Franchise Businesses was issued to prevent franchisors from adopting overly restrictive and unfair contractual conditions that are deemed to potentially cause damage to franchisees. The notification will become effective on February 4, 2020.

If an employer collects employees’ personal information, the employer must comply with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).Thailand’s PDPA, which was enacted earlier this year, contains significant new requirements for employers that collect employees’ (called “data subjects” in the PDPA) personal information. Most sections of the PDPA will become effective on May 27, 2020, so employers should be aware of their duties and liabilities.Important PDPA requirements that relate to employers include the following:

For several years, Myanmar has been engaged in significant ongoing social, economic, and legal reforms through new legislation and regulations. As part of this, Myanmar’s employment regulatory framework has been updated, including changes to the rules on overtime, working hours, and the calculation of leave.

Under Cambodia’s new Patent Recognition Program (PRP), the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft (MIH) will recognize the examination results of a corresponding patent granted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and grant the patent accordingly. This program was established by the Prakas on Accelerated Patent Decisions under the Patent Recognition Program related to Patent Applications with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which became effective on November 1, 2019.In order to participate in the PRP, the following requirements must be met:

On November 20, 2019, the National Assembly of Vietnam issued a revised version of the Labor Code, the primary legislation governing employment and employer-employee relationships in Vietnam. The new Labor Code will take effect on January 1, 2021, replacing the current Labor Code of 2012.The new Labor Code introduces a number of large and small changes, with the general intention being to address shortcomings and clarify unclear provisions of the current law, and bring Vietnam’s labor law more in line with international standards.