Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights: Trade Marks, Designs and Geographical Indications, 7-8 May 2007, Vientiane

The Department of the Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology, STEA and ECAP II jointly organised a two-day seminar on Intellectual Property Rights focusing on trade marks, designs and geographical indications (GIs) on 7-8 May 2007 in Vientiane. 

The seminar was opened by Dr. Maydom Chanthanasinh, Vice President of STEA, and Mr. Sandro Cerrato, Chargé d’Affaires, Delegation of the European Commission to Lao PDR .This event aimed at raising public awareness among SMEs and legal professionals on the importance of trade marks, designs and geographical as an asset for business development.

During the opening ceremony, Mr. Sandro Cerrato, stressed the importance of IPR protection in promoting the economy of Lao: “The effective and efficient protection of intellectual property rights, be it trade marks, designs or geographical indications, is a prerequisite for enhancing international trade and investment.”

The seminar gathered about 100 participants from SMEs and governmental agencies.

During this event, European experts from Spain, the European Community Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and ECAP II, local IP experts from the STEA, as well as representatives from the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the National University of Laos,  the  Lao IP Agency and Dao Heuang Coffee Co., Ltd presented their experiences and the latest development of Trade mark, Designs and GI protection in Lao PDR and Europe.

Photo Album

Presentation materials are available for downloading:

-  Role and value of IPRs: Lao PDR and International Developments (English/Lao) by Nhuene
   Sisavad, Director General, Department of Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology,  
   STEA, Lao PDR
-  Role of IP offices in protecting and promoting IPRs (Lao) by Makha Chanthala, Director
   of the IP Division, Department of Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology, STEA, Lao 
   PDR
-  Trade mark protection in Lao PDR (English/Lao) by Apivath Sombounkhanh, Deputy Director of
   the IP Division,  Department of Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology, STEA, Lao
   PDR
-  Trade Mark protection in the European Union (English/Lao) by Oreste Montalto, OHIM (Spain)
-  Design protection in Lao PDR (ppt:English/Lao, word document in Lao) by Khamnhong
   Sichanthavong, Deputy Director of the IP Division, Department of Intellectual Property,
   Standardization and Metrology, STEA, Lao PDR
-  Design protection in the European Union (English/Lao) by Oreste Montalto, OHIM (Spain)
-  Protection and promotion of Geographical Indications:  the EU experience (English/Lao) by
    Luis Berenguer,  GI expert, Alicante (Spain)
-  How to build a Geographical Indication and the benefits for producers (English/Lao) by Luis  
   Berenguer, GI expert, Alicante (Spain)
-  Protection and promotion of Geographical Indications: the Asian experience (English/Lao) by
   Stephane Passeri, Administrator, EC-ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Co-operation 
   Programme (ECAP II)
-  Protection and promotion of Geographical Indications: the Lao PDR perspective 
   (English/Lao) by Dr Monthathip Chanphenxay, Deputy Director General, National Agriculture
    and Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR