Last week we discussed trade mark protection in Cambodia, one of the fast growing South-East Asian Countries. With today’s blog post we will continue expanding our IP knowledge on Cambodia and delve into patent protection, taking a closer look on how to obtain and enforce your patents in Cambodia.
Patents and Utility Models in Cambodia
Patents are the set of exclusive rights granted to inventors or their assignees to exploit an invention for a limited period of time. The Cambodian Patent Law defines an invention as, “the idea of an inventor which permits in practice the solution to a specific problem in the field of technology.” The law further clarifies that an invention may either be, or relate to, both a product and a process. A product patent (i.e., a patent giving protection to the product as such) gives the patent holder the exclusive right to make, import, sell, offer for sale, use, and stock the product for the purpose of sale or use. A process patent (i.e. a patent granted for a process or a method), gives the patent holder an exclusive right to prevent others from using that process/form.
An invention is patentable if it is novel, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable. An invention is novel if it is not disclosed to the public, anywhere in the world, prior to the date of filing the application or the priority date. An invention is considered to involve an inventive step if the invention is not obvious to a person skilled in the art. The industrially applicable requirement means that the invention must have a use in at least one kind of industry. The Patent Law excludes certain types of inventions from patent protection, such as discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods. The law also excludes inventions that would be contrary to public order or morality, that would be harmful to human, animal or plant life and that would seriously compromise the environment. Continue reading “Patent Protection in Cambodia” »
Have a question about Copyright protection in China? Today’s blog post will provide you an answer. Our China IPR SME Helpdesk expert Mr. Charles Feng from East & Concord Partners based in Beijing has kindly drafted for us a very useful and informative blog post on Copyright Protection in China. In this comprehensive Copyright Guide, presented in Q&A format, you will be able to find answers about how to register Copyright in China, what rights do you have in China and how you can enforce these rights. 
As more and more European SMEs embrace the popular e-commerce concept in China, they are also confronted with online counterfeiting problems. Today’s blog post discusses how European SMEs can monitor online selling sites and how they can start the notice and take down process to remove counterfeits from the most famous Chinese online e-commerce sites like Taobao and Alibaba. 
Should I only register my trade mark in China or should I also register my enterprise name? What’s the difference? In today’s blog post we will take a closer look at the difference between SMEs’ enterprise names and their trade marks and give advice on how to adequately protect both in China. 
As many of us are returning from the well-deserved vacation, it is time to refresh our memories about the basics of IP protection in China. Today’s blog post will take us back to the basics and discuss patent protection in China.