Myanmar is one of the few places in the world where the trademark system has yet to be introduced, but 2020 is set to see this change. Until now, a very particular system was in place whereby the owners declared the possession of the trademark before a government registry and published an annoucement in the press to publicize this fact. With Myanmar's entry into international trade after years of isolation, the development of an intellectual property system in harmony to the rest of world was only a matter of time. Pursuant to the Myanmar Registered Trademark Act of 2019, trademark owners who have previously registered their trademarks through the old system must apply for registration under the new law in order to retain their rights. The Myanmar trademark office will begin a 6-month "soft launch" period starting in January 2020, during which existing trademark registrations will be recognized. During this period, no new trademarks will be received for registration, therefore, trademarks that have never been registered in Myanmar can only be filed in the second half of 2020. As Myanmar transitions to become a globalized economy and manufacturing hub, we recommend to all companies with commercial interests in Asia to ensure that their brands are being properly registered there too. --- Visit us at www.emps.es or contact us at emps@emps.es 2020 (c) Esquivel and Martin Santos Intellectual Property EU Firm