I. General Overview
Located in the southern part of the Indochina Peninsula, bordering Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. It covers an area of approximately 180,000 square kilometers. Its capital is Phnom Penh.
Cambodia has approximately 16 million people, with Khmer accounting for 80% of the total population. There are approximately 1.1 million overseas Chinese.
Cambodia is a traditionally agricultural country with a weak industrial base and reliance on foreign aid and investment. Approximately 17.8% of the population lives in poverty. Cambodia has implemented an open and free market economic policy. According to Cambodian statistics, the economic growth rate in 2022 was 5.2%, with a GDP of US$30 billion, or US$1,785 per capita, and an inflation rate of 5.3%.
II. Treaty Membership
1. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention)
Accession: 1998
2. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Accession: 2016
3. Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (Madrid Protocol)
Accession: 2015
4. Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (hereinafter referred to as the Hague Agreement)
Accession: 2017
III. Trademark Application Procedure and Required Documents
1. Trademark Registrable Elements and Types
Elements that can be registered as trademarks in Cambodia include: text, graphics, symbols, slogans, three-dimensional logos, color combinations, etc.
The types of trademarks that can be registered in Cambodia include: trademarks, service marks, collective trademarks, and certification trademarks.
2. Filing Routes
1) National filing (direct filing)
2) Madrid International Registration
2. Required Documents
⦁ Clear representation of the mark;
⦁ List of goods and/or services;
⦁ Applicant's name and address;
⦁ If claiming priority, a certified copy of the priority document must be provided;
⦁ Notarized power of attorney.
2. Application Process
Filing: the 11th edition of Nice Classification is adopted; multiple-class applications are possible; the first-to-file principle is followed
Examination: formal examination and substantive examination
Publication/Opposition: the opposition period is 90 days
Registration: It takes about 9-12 months from filing to registration (if smooth).
2. Protection Period and Renewal
The validity period is 10 years from the date of application and can be renewed for 10 years each time before expiration
6. Assignment
Trademark assignment requires a notarized power of attorney, a notarized assignment agreement, and a trademark certificate (if any), and the processing period is approximately 6 months.
7. Chang of Name/Address
Trademark changes require a notarized power of attorney, a notarized proof of change, and a trademark certificate (if any), and the processing period is approximately 6 months.
8. Cancellation
Non-use Cancellation: If a trademark has not been used for 5 consecutive years, any interested party may file a request for cancellation of the non-used trademark.
IV. Trademark application statistics *:
A: Statistics on total trademark applications:
2020: 8,692
2021: -
2022: 7,117
B: Statistics of trademark applications from China:
2020:914
2021:828
2022:776
