In a continued effort to streamline the intellectual property (IP) registration process, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of Laos has recently introduced additional simplifications to the required documentation for IP rights applications. This initiative builds on the previous milestone outlined in Official Letter No. 0973/DIP, dated June 26, 2023; which eliminated the need for notarization of certain documents (please refer to our previous article HERE).
The latest move by the DIP aims to further enhance the development of IP protection in Laos while promoting the efficiency and accessibility of the country’s online filing system (E-Filing). Particularly, at the Official Letter No. 0198/DIP, dated February 22, 2025 (with immediate effect), the DIP states that:
– The Power of Attorney along with other supporting documents that submit electronically to the E-Filing system, shall be not required to provide the original hard copies to the DIP (except in rare instances where the DIP has concerns regarding the authenticity of those documents). Such documents can be listed as:
- Power of Attorney;
- Assignment Agreement;
- Declaration of Change of Name/Address;
- Inventorship Deed of Assignment;
- Priority Documents;
- Others (that can be submitted electronically).
– The IP Agents are liable for safely maintaining the original documents and will be fully accountable for complying with the legal obligations outlined in Lao PDR regulations.
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via our email address tm@ageless.vn.
