Cambodia: Seminar on intellectual property, trade secrets and international trade

The Ministry of Commerce hosted a national seminar on intellectual property, trade secrets and international trade on 13 and 14 March, chaired by Mr Ouk Prachea, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce and Permanent Vice-Chairman of the National Committee for Intellectual Property.

The seminar was attended by the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Commerce, the Deputy Director General of Commercial Services, representatives of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, members of the secretariat of the National Intellectual Property Committee, lawyers and various participants from the private sector

The aim of the workshop was to improve the intellectual property knowledge of members of the secretariat of the National Intellectual Property Committee, lawyers and private sector players. It also provided an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the process of drafting the Trade Secrets Act, to examine the history of the application of the Trade Secrets Act in Canada and to highlight the importance of intellectual property in international trade.

During the seminar, Suon Vichea, Adviser and Director of the Intellectual Property Department at the Ministry of Commerce, stressed the importance of bringing Cambodia's intellectual property laws into line with the standards of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the international trade agreements to which the country is a signatory. He stressed that better protection of intellectual property would promote trade, international cooperation and Cambodia's economic growth.

Lawyer Keo Langcheng, President of the Board of the Intellectual Property Association of Cambodia (IPAC), emphasised the crucial role of intellectual property law in digital and technological advances. She said that as Cambodia's digital economy continues to develop, a strong legal framework is needed to protect innovations, businesses and creators.

For her part, Keo Langcheng, representative of IPAC, gave a presentation on the growing importance of intellectual property rights in Cambodia's business landscape. She emphasised that effective protection of intellectual property was necessary to foster confidence, preserve the reputation of businesses and ensure the prevention and timely removal of infringements committed against intellectual property rights holders.

She also stressed that creators and innovators expect the authorities to intervene quickly to put an end to the unauthorised distribution of their works. Keo Langcheng also reaffirmed IPAC's commitment to promote and strengthen the intellectual property sector in Cambodia, by contributing to the development of relevant laws in accordance with the Royal Government's policies and the national intellectual property policy defined by the National Intellectual Property Committee.