Myanmar: Trademark

Myanmar's first-to-file trademark registration system, operational since April 2023, introduces enhanced legal protections but also more rigorous requirements for brand owners. While the system prioritizes registration, evidence of trademark use remains crucial for establishing acquired distinctiveness, demonstrating well-known status, and strengthening enforcement positions in this evolving legal framework.

Myanmar's Intellectual Property (IP) department recently celebrated its first year of operation. Progress has been significant but slower than expected, according to practitioners.

Myanmar's long-awaited first-to-file trademark registration system came into full effect on April 26, 2023, with the "grand opening" of the country's Intellectual Property Department (IPD).