Asia IP has ranked Tilleke & Gibbins as a “Recommended Firm” in Laos, placing our firm among the top trademark practices in the country. The rankings were included in the magazine’s Trademark Survey 2015, and they follow Managing Intellectual Property ranking our firm as “Recommended” and Asialaw Profiles naming Tilleke & Gibbins as “Highly Recommended” for intellectual property in Laos.
Nitipong Boonsong, a senior advisor in Tilleke & Gibbins’ Vientiane office, was quoted extensively in the ranking’s editorial. Commenting on Laos joining the Madrid Protocol, he said, “the Lao Department of Intellectual Property has commenced discussions to prepare to join the Madrid Protocol by passing regulations and gradually changing practices to meet the standards under the protocol.” “One of the changes has been to publish trademark applications before issuing trademark certificates, which are now published after being granted,” Nitipong continued.
One of the greatest challenges facing trademark owners in Laos is the country’s culture of reaching a compromise. “In practice, the Lao authorities only seize counterfeit goods for further destruction and warn infringers to not repeat the offense,” Nitipong remarked. “However, after Laos’ IP law was enacted over three years ago, we found that, from 2013 to 2014, the IP office successfully resolved trademark infringement cases for 12 different brand owners through the application of administrative remedies and raid actions,” he said.
Asia IP is a Hong Kong-based legal magazine focused on the latest developments in IP law. In the survey, Tilleke & Gibbins received “Tier 1” rankings in Thailand and Vietnam for both “Trademark Prosecution” and “Trademark Contentious” work and also a Recommended Firm ranking in Myanmar. To learn more about these rankings, please visit the Asia IP website.
