Validation agreement with Cambodia enters into force

His Excellency Senior Minister Cham Prasidh, Cambodian Minister of Industry and Handicraft, with EPO representative François-Régis HannartAn agreement allowing European patents to be validated for Cambodia enters into force today, enabling inventors and businesses filing a European patent application to request validation for Cambodia.

European patents granted by the EPO and validated in Cambodia will have the same legal effects as a corresponding Cambodian patent and will be subject to Cambodian patent law.

EPO's President Benoît Battistelli explains the significance of this new development: "The entry into force of the validation agreement with Cambodia extends the attractiveness of the European patent system beyond Europe. It represents a reduction of both processing times and costs for applicants and a reduction of the administrative burden for the Cambodian patent office. The accompanying technical co-operation between the EPO and the Ministry of industry and handicraft will contribute to the development of the Cambodian national patent system. The validation of European patents is also an important element of foreign investment strategies in Cambodia.

The recognition of European patents by an Asian country is further proof of their global relevance, especially for regions with a dynamic development:

Cambodia is one of the fastest-growing economies in the Southeast Asian region, with an average growth rate among the top seven in the world. The country is currently modernising its intellectual property system in order to boost its economy and attract foreign direct investment.

The agreement, signed in 2017 and the fourth of its kind to enter into force following similar ones with Morocco, the Republic of Moldova and Tunisia, brings to 44 the number of countries for which patent protection can be obtained on the basis of a single European patent application.

(Source: EPO)