Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MISTI) has issued (i) Joint Prakas no. 836 dated 14 November 2023 in relation to the public service fee, which also includes the relevant fees for plant variety protection over the previous Joint Prakas no. 559 dated 9 July 2020, and (ii) Joint Prakas no. 837 dated 14 November 2023 on the annuity late attendance penalty fees.

Under Joint Praka No.836, the new relevant fees for plant variety protection including its annuity fee are introduced. The fees for demonstrating all services within the General Department of Industrial Property remains unchanged.

In the meantime, Joint Prakas No. 837 provides for an annuity late attendance penalty fee for patent, utility model, plan variety, and industrial design for six (6) months late payment by charging 500 riel per day. Also, Joint Prakas No. 837 includes an annuity late attendance penalty fee for patent, utility model, plan variety, and industrial design for six (06) months late payment by charging five (5) hundred riel (around USD0.12) per day. This enforces the annuity late attendance penalty and requires attending the annuity fee for patent, utility model, industrial design, and plan variety on time. 

As you may be aware, the intellectual property rights existed since 1960s and 1970s in Cambodia. Cambodia’s 2004 accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) prompted the adoption of several laws on IP rights, such as the Law on Patents, Utility Models and Industrial Designs, the Law on Copyright and Related Rights, the Law on Marks, Trade Names and Acts of Unfair Competition, the Law on Geographical Indications of Goods.

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