Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 1
Kingdom of Cambodia
Nation Religion and King
*****
Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (Unofficial translation)
N o
: 766 MIME.DIP.PRK
Phnom Penh, May 28, 2007
PRAKAS
(DECLARATION)
ON
THE PROCEDURE FOR
THE GRANT OF PATENTS AND UTILITY MODEL
CERTIFICATES ******
MINISTER OF MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, MINES AND ENERGY
- Seen the constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia;
- Seen the Royal Degree Nº NS/RKT/124 dated July 15, 2004 on the Appointment on the
Royal Government of Cambodia;
- Seen the Royal Kram Nº 02/NS/94 dated July 20, 2004 promulgating the Law on
Organization and Functioning of the Council of Ministers;
- Seen the Royal Kram Nº NS/RKM/0196/05 dated January 24, 1996 promulgating the
Law on the Establishment of the Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy
- Seen the Royal Kram Nº NS/RKM/0103/005 dated January 22, 2003 promulgating the
Law on the Patents and Utility Model Certificates and Industrial Designs
- Seen the Royal Degree Nº 35 RNKRBK dated April 26, 1999 on the Organization and
Functioning of the Ministry of Industry Mines and Energy;
- Seen the Sub-Degree Nº 43 ANKRBK dated May 30, 2003 on the upgrading Office of
Industrial Property of the Department of Industrial Technique to the Department of
Industrial Property of Department General of Industry of the Ministry of Industry,
Mines and Energy;
- Seen Declaration Nº 487 OURT.BL.PRK dated May 19, 2003 on the Organization and
Functioning of the Department of Industrial Property
- Pursuant to the necessary needs of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy
DECIDES
SECTION 1
GENERAL PROVISION
Rule 1.- Determination of Characteristic of the Declaration
This Prakas (Declaration) may be cited as Regulation for implementation of the
Law on Patents and Utility Model Certificates and Industrial Designs in accordance with
Article 130 of the Law on Patents and Utility Model Certificates and Industrial Designs.
Rule 2.- Duty of Registration Department
The Registration Department shall, in accordance with the Law, receive, examine
the Patents and Utility Model Certificates applications and grant the Patents and Utility
Model Certificates in order to protect the intellectual property of inventors and
innovators.
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 2
Rule 3.- Interpretation
In this Declaration the following words shall be interpreted:
- Law means the Law on Patents, Utility Model Certificates and Industrial
Designs, promulgated by the Royal Degree NS/RKM/0103/005, dated January 22, 2003;
- Minister means the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy;
- Registrar means the Director of Department of Industrial Property;
- Registration Department means Department of Industrial Property;
- Paris Convention means the convention was signed in Paris on Protection of
Industrial Property on March 20, 1883 and last revised;
- Invention means an idea of inventor, which permits in practice the solution to a
specific problem in the field of technology;
- Earlier application means an application which has been earlier filed or earlier
registered;
SECTION 2
PROCEDURES FOR THE GRANT OF PATENTS AND UTILITY MODEL
CERTIFICATES
Rule 4.- Classification of Patents and Utility Model Certificates
The Registrar shall apply the International Patent Classification, as adopted under
the Strasbourg Agreement of March 24, 1971, and updated in its subsequent editions, for
all purposes relation to the grant and publication of Patents and Utility Model
Certificates, as well as for the maintenance of classified search files.
Rule 5.- Application for Patents and Utility Model Certificates
The application for Patent and Utility Model Certificate in accordance with
Article 16 of the Law shall be contain a request, descriptions, claims, drawings where
required, and abstracts and shall be filed with the Registration Department and shall be
subject to the payment of prescribed fee.
Rule 6.- Request
The request shall be characterized as following:
1- Request for the grant of Patents and Utility Model Certificates shall be made on
Form Nº 1 P/UM as attached in Annex A of this Declaration.
2- The request shall indicate each applicant's name, address, nationality and
residence and shall be signed by each applicant.
3- Where applicant is the inventor, the request shall contain a statement to that
effect, and, where he is not, it shall indicate each inventor's name and address and be
accompanied by the statement justifying the applicant's right to the Patents and Utility
Model Certificates.
4- If the applicant is represented by an agent, the request shall so indicate and
state the agent's name and address.
5- The title of the invention shall be short and precise.
Rule 7.- Description
Description shall be characterized as following:
1- The description shall first state the title of the invention as appearing in the
request and shall:
a- specify the technical field to which the invention relates;
b- indicate the background art which, as far as known to the applicant, can
be regarded as useful for the understanding, searching and examination of the invention,
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 3
and, preferably, cite the documents reflecting such art;
c- disclose the invention in such terms that it can be understood and state
its advantageous effects, if any, with reference to the background art;
d- briefly describe the figures in the drawings, if any;
e- set forth at least one best mode contemplated by the applicant for
carrying out the invention; this shall be done in terms of examples, where appropriate,
and with reference to the drawings, if any;
f- indicate explicitly, when it is not obvious from the description or nature
of the invention, the way in which the invention is industrially applicable and the way in
which it can be made and used, or, if it can only be used, the way in which it can be used.
2- The manner and order specified in paragraph (1) of this Rule shall be followed
except when, because of the nature of the invention, a different manner or a different
order would result in a better understanding and a more concise presentation.
Rule 8.- Claim
Claim shall be characterized as following:
1- The number of the claims shall be reasonable taking into account the nature of
the invention; if there are several claims, they shall be numbered consecutively in Khmer
numerals.
2- The claims shall define the invention in terms of the technical features of the
invention.
3- Whenever appropriate, claims shall contain:
a- statement indicating those technical features of the invention which are
necessary for the definition of the latter but which, in combination, are part of the prior
art;
b- characterising portion--preceded by the words “characterized in that”,
“characterized by”, “wherein the improvement comprises”, or any other
words to the same effect--stating concisely the technical features which, in
combination with the features stated under Paragraph (a), it is desired to protect.
4- Claims shall not, except where absolutely necessary, rely in respect of the
technical features of the invention on references to the description or drawings; in
particular, they shall not rely on such references as “as described in part ... of the
description”, or “as illustrated in figure ... of the drawings”.
5- Where the application contains drawings, the technical features mentioned in
the claims shall preferably be followed by the reference signs relating to such features;
when used, the reference signs shall preferably be placed between parentheses; if
inclusion of reference signs does not particularly facilitate quicker understanding of a
claim, it should not be made.
6- Any claims submitted after the filing date of the application and which is not
identified with the claims previously appearing in the application shall, at the choice of
the applicant, be submitted either as an amended claim or as a new claim.
7- The deletion of any claim previously appearing in the application shall be made
by indicating the number of the previous claim followed by the word “cancelled”.
Rule 9.- Drawing
Drawing shall be characterized as following:
1- Drawings forming part of an application for a patent and utility model
certificate shall be on sheets the usable surface area of which shall not exceed 26.2 cm by
17 cm. The sheets shall not contain frames round the usable or used surface.
The minimum margins shall be as following:
top 2.5 cm
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 4
left side 2.5 cm
right side 1.5 cm
bottom 1.0 cm
2- Drawings shall be executed as following:
a- Without colouring in durable, black sufficiently dense and dark,
uniformly thick and well-defined lines and strokes to permit satisfactory reproduction;
b- Cross-sections shall be indicated by hatching, which does not impede
the clear reading of the reference signs and leading lines;
c- The scale of the drawings and the distinctness of their graphical
execution shall be such that a photographic reproduction with a linear reduction in size to
two-thirds would enable all details to be distinguished without difficulty. If, as an
exception, the scale is given on a drawing it shall be represented graphically;
d- All numbers, letters and reference signs appearing in the drawings shall
be simple and clear and brackets, circles and inverted commas shall not be used in
association with numbers and letters;
e- Elements of the same figure shall be in proportion to each other, unless
a difference in proportion is indispensable for the clarity of the figure;
f- The height of the numbers and letters shall not be less than 0.32 cm and
for the lettering of drawings, the Latin and, where customary, the Greek alphabet shall be
used;
g- The same sheet of drawings may contain several figures. Where figures
drawn on two or more sheets are intended to form one whole figure, the figures on the
several sheets shall be so arranged that the whole figure can be assembled without
concealing any part of the partial figures. The different figures shall be arranged without
wasting space, clearly separated from one another. The different figures shall be
numbered consecutively, independently of the numbering of the sheets;
h- Reference signs not mentioned in the description or claims shall not
appear in the drawings, and vice versa. The same features, when denoted by reference
signs, shall, throughout the application, be denoted by the same signs;
i- The drawings shall not contain textual matter, except, when required for
the understanding of the drawings, a single word or words such as “water”, “steam”,
“open”, “closed”, “section on AA” and in the case of electric circuits and block schematic
or flow sheet diagrams, a few short catchwords;
j- The sheets of the drawings shall be numbered in accordance with Rule
16(7) of this Declaration.
3- Flow sheets and diagrams are considered drawings.
Rule 10.- Abstract
Abstract shall be characterized as following:
1- The abstract shall be so drafted that it can efficiently serve as a scanning tool
for purposes of searching in the particular art.
2- The abstract shall consist of the following:
a- Summary of the disclosure as contained in the description, the claims,
and any drawings, indicating the technical field to which the invention pertains and
drafted in a way which allows the clear understanding of the technical problem, the gist
of the solution of that problem through the invention and the principal use or uses of the
invention;
b- where applicable, the chemical formula which, among all the formulae
contained in the application, best characteristic the invention.
3- The abstract shall be as concise as the disclosure permits (not exceed
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 5
150words).
4- The abstract shall not contain statements on the alleged merits or value of the
invention or on its speculative application.
5- Each main technical feature mentioned in the abstract and illustrated by a
drawing in the application shall be followed by a reference sign, placed between
parentheses.
6- The abstract shall be accompanied by the most illustrative of any drawings
furnished by the applicant.
Rule 11.- Language of Documents and Translations
. 1- Language of documents and translations shall be executed as following:
Applications and any document forming part of an application or any documents
submitted to the Registration Department or the Registrar pursuant to the Law, this
Declaration and Regulations concerned shall be in Khmer.
2- Where the applications and documents mentioned in the paragraph (1) of this
Rule writing in Khmer language or in Languages other than English shall translate in to
English, for the purpose of searching and examination, and shall submit to the Registrar
within six (6) moths from the filling date.
3- Where the applications and documents mentioned in the paragraph (1) of this
Rule writing in Languages other than Khmer language shall translate in to Khmer, for the
purpose of judging, protection and law enforcement and shall submit to the Registrar
within six (6) moths from the filling date.
Rule 12.- Indication of Name, Address, Nationality and Residence
Indication of name, address, nationality and residence shall be indicated as
following:
1- Names of natural persons shall be indicated by the person’s family name, given
name(s) and address. The names of legal entities shall be indicated by their full, official
designations.
2- Nationality shall be indicated by the name of the State of which a person is a
national. Legal entities shall indicate the name of the State under whose laws they are
constituted and their Registered Office.
3- Addresses shall be indicated in such a way as to satisfy the customary
requirements for prompt postal delivery at the indicated address and, in any case, shall
consist of all the relevant administrative units, including the house number, if any.
Addresses shall also indicate telephone numbers, facsimile number and E-mail address.
4- Residence shall be indicated by the name of the State of which a person is a
resident.
5- Applicants for Patent and Utility Model Certificates shall provide address for
contacting in the Kingdom of Cambodia to Registrar for the purpose of their applications.
Rule 13.- Change of Name, Nationality and Address
Change of name, nationality and address shall be executed as following:
1- A request by the owner of, or applicant for, a patent, utility model certificate
for the alteration of a name, nationality, address or address for service on record in
respect of his patent, utility model certificate or application shall be made in writing.
2- Before acting on a request to alter a name or nationality, the Registrar may
require such proof of the alteration as he thinks fit.
3- If the Registrar is satisfied that the request should be allowed, he shall cause
the patent, the utility model certificate or application therefore and, where the name,
nationality or address has been recorded in the register, the register to be altered
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 6
accordingly.
Rule 14.- Signature
Signature shall be executed as follow:
1- A document purporting to be signed for or on behalf of a partnership shall
contain the names of all Companies and the partners in full and shall be signed by all the
or by any partner qualified to sign, stating that he signs on behalf of the partnership, or by
any other person who satisfies the Registrar that he is authorized to sign the document; a
document purporting to be signed for or on behalf of a body corporate shall be signed by
a director or by the secretary or other principal officer of the body corporate, or by any
other person who satisfies the Registrar that he is authorized to sign the document and
shall bear the seal of the body corporate; a document purporting to be signed for or on
behalf of an association of persons may be signed by any person who satisfies the
Registrar that he is duly authorized.
2- The Registrar may, whenever he deems it necessary, request evidence of
authorization to sign.`
Rule 15.- Measures, Terminology and Signs
Measures, terminology and signs shall be characterized as following:
1- Units of weights and measures shall be expressed in terms of the metric system.
2- Temperatures shall be expressed in degrees centigrade (Celsius).
3- Density shall be expressed in metric units.
4- For indications of heat, energy, light, sound, and magnetism, as well as for
mathematical formulae and electrical units, rules in general use shall be observed; for
chemical formulae, the symbols, atomic weights, and molecular formulae, in general
use, shall be employed.
5- In general, only such technical terms, signs and symbols should be used as are
generally accepted in the art.
6-The terminology and the signs shall be consistent throughout the application.
Rule 16.- Number of Documents and Physical Requirements
Subject to Rule 20(7) of this Declaration, number of documents and physical
requirements shall be characterized as following:
1- The application and any accompanying statements or documents shall be
submitted to the Registrar and filed in three (3) copies. But the Registrar may require the
applicant to supply additional copies as it is necessary.
2- All elements of the application shall be so presented as to admit direct
reproduction by photography, electrostatic processes, photo offset and microfilming.
3- Only one side of each sheet contained in the application shall be used.
4- All elements of the application shall be on paper which is flexible, strong,
white, smooth, non-shiny and durable.
5- The size of the sheets shall be A4 (29.7cm x 21cm), although the Registrar may
accept sheets of other sizes.
6- The minimum margins of sheets shall be as following:
a- upper margin of each page, except the first page: 2 cm
b- upper margin of the first page: 3 cm
c- side margin adjacent to the binding: 2.5 cm
e- other side margin: 2 cm
f- bottom margin: 2 cm
7- Others requirement for paper sheets shall be executed as following:
a- All sheets shall be numbered at the top of the sheet, in the middle, in
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 7
consecutive numerals.
b- In effecting the sequential numbering of the sheets, the elements of the
application shall be placed in the following order: the request, the description, the claims,
the abstract, the drawings.
c- The sequential numbering of the sheets shall be effected by using three
separate series of numbering, the first series applying to the request only and
commencing with the first sheet of the request, the second series commencing with the
first sheet of the description and continuing through the claims until the last sheet of the
abstract, and the third series being applicable to the sheets of the drawings only and
commencing with the first sheet of the drawings.
8- The text matter of the application shall be typed; graphic symbols, chemical or
mathematical formula and certain characters, if necessary, may be handwritten or drawn.
9- Drawings shall be executed in durable, black, sufficiently dense and dark,
uniformly thick and well-defined lines and strokes without colourings.
Rule 17.- Unity of Invention
Pursuant to Article 23 of the Law shall be:
1- Construed as permitting, in particular, one of the following three possibilities:
a- in addition to an independent claim for a given product, the inclusion in
the same application of an independent claim for a process specially adapted for the
manufacture of the said product, and the inclusion in the same application of an
independent claim for a use of the said product; or
b- in addition to an independent claim for a given process, the inclusion in
the same application of an independent claim for an apparatus or means specifically
designed for carrying out the said process; or
c- in addition to an independent claim for a given product, the inclusion in
the same application of an independent claim for a process specially adapted for the
manufacture of the product, and the inclusion in the same application of an independent
claim for an apparatus or means specifically designed for carrying out the process.
2- Permitted to include in the same application two or more independent claims of
the same category which cannot readily be covered by a single generic claim.
3- Permitted to include in the same application a reasonable number of dependent
claims, claiming specific forms of the invention claimed in an independent claim.
Rule 18.- Division of Application
Division of Application shall be executed as following:
1- Pursuant to Article 25 of the Law, a divisional application shall contain a
reference to the initial application.
2- If the applicant wishes a divisional application to benefit from any priority
claimed for the initial application, the divisional application must contain a request to that
effect; in such a case, the declaration of priority and the documents furnished in
accordance with Rule 20 of this Declaration for the initial application shall be deemed to
relate also to the divisional application.
3- Where the priorities of two or more earlier applications were claimed for the
initial application, a divisional application may benefit only from the priority or priorities
that are applicable to it.
Rule 19.- Disclosures to be Disregarded for Prior Art Purpose
Disclosures to be disregarded for prior art purpose shall be characterized as
following:
1- In accordance with Article 6 of the Law for prior art purposes, an applicant
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 8
who wishes a disclosure of the invention to be disregarded, shall so indicate on the
application and shall furnish, in writing, with the application or within one (1) month of
filing the application, full particulars of the disclosure; where the disclosure was made at
an exhibition, the applicant shall file, within the same period, a duly authenticated
certificate issued by the authority responsible for the exhibition containing particulars of
the exhibition and stating that the invention was in fact exhibited there.
2- For the purpose of the paragraph 3 (b) of the Article 6 of the Law, disclosure to
the public of the invention shall not be considered to be disclosure, if it occurred within
twelve (12) moths preceding the filing date or, where applicable, the priority date of the
application; if was by reason or consequence of acts committed by the applicant or his
predecessor in title or of an abuse committed by third party with regard to the applicant or
his predecessor in title.
Rule 20.- Declaration of Priority
Declaration of priority shall be executed as following:
1- The declaration of priority referred to in Article 27 of the Law shall be made at
the time of filing the application for the patent and utility model certificate and shall
indicate:
a- the date of filing of the earlier application;
b- the number of the earlier application, subject to paragraph (2) of this
Rule;
c- the symbol of the International Patent Classification which has been
allocated to the earlier application, subject to paragraph (3) of this Rule;
d- the State in which the earlier application was filed or, where the earlier
application is a regional or an international application, the State or States for which it
was filed;
e- where the earlier application is a regional or an international
application, the Office which it was filed.
2- Where at the time of filing the declaration referred to in paragraph (1) of this
Rule, the number of the earlier application is not known, that number shall be furnished
within the period of sixteen (16) months after the priority date.
3- Where a symbol of the International Patent Classification has not been
allocated to the earlier application, or had not yet been allocated at the time of filing the
declaration referred to in paragraph (1) of this Rule, the applicant shall state this fact in
the said declaration and shall communicate such symbol as soon as it has been allocated.
4- The applicant may, at any time before the grant of the patent and utility model
certificate, amend the contents of the declaration referred to in paragraph (1) of this Rule.
5- The period for furnishing the certified copy of the earlier application, referred
to in Article 28 of the Law, shall be three (3) months from the date of the request by the
Registrar; where a copy has already been furnished for another application, the applicant
may respond by making a reference to that other application.
6- Where the earlier application is in a language other than Khmer, the applicant
shall, within six (6) months from the date of the aforementioned request, furnish
translation in Khmer of the earlier application.
7- Unless the Registrar requests otherwise, the earlier application and any
translation thereof shall be filed in one (1) copy.
Rule 21.- Time for Furnishing Information
Time for furnishing information concerning corresponding of foreign application
shall be indicated as following:
1- The time limits to be specified for furnishing the information requested under
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 9
Articles 30 and 31 of the Law, shall not be more than six (6) months from the date such a
request is made; upon a reasoned request by the applicant, the Registrar may extend such
time limit.
2- If the applicant replies that the documents requested under Articles 30 and 31
of the Law are not yet available, the Registrar may suspend the procedure for the
examination of the application until such time as the documents are furnished.
Rule 22.- Withdrawal and Amendment of Application
Withdrawal and amendment of application shall be executed as following:
1- The application shall be withdrawn by written declaration submitted to the
Registrar and signed by each applicant.
2- The fee related to the application shall not be refunded if the application is
withdrawn.
3- Any amendment pursuant to Article 24 of the Law, shall be made together with
the payment of the prescribed fee.
4- A patent and utility model certificates application has been withdraw,
abandoned or refused shall be subjected to the provisions of Article 4 (c) (4) on the rights
of priority of Paris Convention where appropriate.
Rule 23.- Numbering and Making Application
Numbering and making application for granting of patent and utility model
certificate shall be executed as following:
1- Up on receipt of the application for patent, the Registrar shall mark, on each
document making up the application, the actual date of receipt and the application
number consisting of the letters “KH”, slant “/”, the letter “P”, slant “/”, the last two
numbers of the year in which the initial papers were received, slant “/”, and a five-digit
number allotted in the sequential order in which applications are received; where any
corrections or other later filed documents are received on different dates, the Registrar
shall also mark their actual date of receipt in the appropriate place of the request for grant
of the patent (Form No. 1 P/UM).
2- Up on receipt of the application for utility model, the Registrar shall mark, on
each document making up the application, the actual date of receipt and the application
number consisting of the letters “KH”, slant “/”, the letter “UM”, slant “/”, the last two
numbers of the year in which the initial papers were received, slant “/”, and a five-digit
number allotted in the sequential order in which applications are received; where any
corrections or other later filed documents are received on different dates, the Registrar
shall also mark their actual date of receipt in the appropriate place of the request for grant
of the patent (Form No. 1 P/UM).
3- The application number allotted under paragraph (1) and (2) of this Declaration
shall be quoted in all subsequent communications concerning the application.
Rule 24.- Examination as to Form
Examination as to Form for patent and utility model shall be executed as
following:
1- The Registrar shall examine whether the application fulfills the requirements of
the paragraph 1 of Article 33 of the law.
2- The invitation to file any correction, under Article 34 of the law, shall be in
writing and shall specify the correction or corrections required and request that these be
filed within two (2) months from the date of the invitation.
3-Once the Registrar accords a filing date, he shall notify the applicant in writing;
if the application is treated as if it had not been filed, under Article 34, the Registrar shall
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 10
notify the applicant in writing, specifying the reasons.
4- In addition to the requirements of Article 16 and 17 of the Law and the
Declaration pertaining thereto, the requirements of Article 30, 31 and 116 of the Law and
Rule 11, 12, 14, 33, 15 and 16 of this Declaration and related provisions which was
issued by Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and by Registration Department, to the
extent applicable, shall be considered formal requirements for the purpose of the Law.
5- Where the Registrar finds that the conditions referred to in Article 36 of the
Law are not fulfilled, he shall invite the applicant, in writing, to file the required
correction within two (2) months from the date of the invitation; where no abstract is
provided, the Registrar shall invite the application to correct the deficiency either by
providing an abstract; if the applicant does not comply with the invitation to correct a
deficiency, or where, despite to corrections submitted by the applicant, the Registrar is of
the opinion that the conditions referred to in Article 36 are not fulfilled, he shall reject the
application and notify the applicant, in writing, stating the reasons.
6- Refusal of the application shall not affect its filing date. This filing date shall
remain valid.
Rule 25.- Examination as to Substance
Examination as to substance shall be executed as following:
1-The Registrar shall communicate the decision to the applicant in writing.
2- Refer to Article 37 of the Law, the Registrar shall take into account of search
and examination reports which was carried out by searching authority and other as
requested himself.
3- Where, taking due account of the conclusions of the search and examination
report referred to in paragraph (2) of this Rule, if any, the Registrar is of the opinion, that
the conditions referred to in Articles 23 of the Law are not fulfilled, he shall notify the
applicant, in writing, inviting him, to submit his observations and, where applicable, to
amend or divide his application, within a period not more than five (5) months from the
date of the invitation. The invitation shall be made on Form prescribing by Ministry of
Industry, Mines and Energy; it may be made several times, if necessary.
4- Where the applicant does not comply with the said invitation or where, despite
any observation, amendments or division submitted by the applicant, the Registrar is of
the opinion that the conditions referred to in Articles 35 and 36 of the Law are not
fulfilled, he shall refuse to grant the patent and utility model certificate.
5-Where the Registrar is of the opinion that the conditions referred to Article 38
of the Law and this Declaration are fulfilled, he shall grant the patent and utility model
certificate in accordance with Article 39 of the Law and Rule 27 of this Declaration.
6- The Registrar shall notify the applicant, in writing, of his decision to grant or to
refuse to grant a patent and utility model certificate, attaching a copy of the search and
examination report, if any, upon which the decision is based and, in the case of a decision
to grant a patent, requesting the applicant to pay the grant fee within three (3) months
from the date of the notification.
Rule 26.- Decision to Grant or Refuse to Grant of Patent and Utility Model Certificate
Decision to grant or refuse to grant of patent and utility model certificate shall be
executed as following:
1- Where two or more applications for grant of a patent and utility model
certificate for the same invention are filed by different applicants and where the
applications have earlier filling or priority date, where the application have not been
withdrawn, the Registrar shall grant the patent to the application claiming the
characteristics of the invention that was first filed or that claims the earlier priority date.
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 11
2-The Registrar shall notify the applicant, in writing, of his decision to grant or to
refuse to grant a patent and an utility model certificate; in the case of a refusal, the
Register shall state the reasons therefore; in the case of a decision to grant, the Registrar
shall request the applicant to pay the grant fee referred in paragraph 6 of Rule 25 of this
Declaration.
Rule 27.- Grant of Patent and Utility Model Certificate; Publication; Issuance of
Certificate
Grant of patent and utility model certificate, publication, issuance of certificate
shall be executed as following:
1- Subject to the payment of the grant and the utility model certificate within the
period prescribed in paragraph 6 of Rule 25 of this Declaration, the Registrar shall
proceed to grant the patent and the utility model certificate, in accordance with Article 39
of the Law and this Rule.
2- The Registrar shall allot to each patent and utility model certificate he grants a
number i.e., publication number of the patent and utility model certificate in the
sequential order of grant.
3- The patent and utility model certificate shall be granted on Form prescribed by
the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and shall contain the date of publication of
the patent and utility model certificate, the documents or references cited of the prior art,
the description, the claims and the drawings if any and added to the information indicated
in paragraph (5) of this Rule.
4- The patent and utility model certificate shall be deemed to be granted on the
date the Registrar publishes a reference to the grant in accordance with paragraph (1) of
Article 39 the Law.
5- The publication of the reference to the grant of the patent and utility model
certificate shall include:
a- the number of the patent and utility model certificate;
b- the name and address of the owner of the patent and utility model
certificate;
c- the name and address of the inventor, except where he has asked not to
be named in the patent and utility model certificate;
d- the name and address of the agent if any;
e- the filing date;
f- if priority has been claimed and the claim has been accepted, a
statement of the priority, the priority date and the name of the country or countries in
which or for which the earlier application was filed;
g- the effective date of grant of the patent and utility model certificate;
h- the title of the invention;
i- the abstract;
j- the most illustrative of the drawings, if any;
k- the symbol of the International Patent Classification.
6- The certificate of granting of patent and utility model certificate shall be issued
on Form prescribed by Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and shall contain:
a- the number of the patent and utility model certificate;
b- the name and address of the owner of the patent and utility model;
c- the filling date, where applicable, priority date of the application;
d- the effective date of grant of a patent and utility model certificate, and
e- the title of the invention.
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 12
Rule 28.- Annual Fees
Annual fees shall be executed as following:
1- Upon payment of an annual fee in accordance with Article 46 of the Law, the
Registrar shall, within three (3) weeks from the date payment is received, furnish or send
to the applicant or to the owner of the patent and utility model certificate a receipt of
payment.
2- The Registrar shall record and publish a notification of the lapse of a patent and
utility model certificate.
3- Annual fees shall not be refundable.
Rule 29.- Exploitation by Government or by Third Persons Authorized by
Government
Exploitation by Government or by third persons authorized by Government shall
be executed as following:
1- The Minister shall, before making a decision under Section 11 of Chapter 2 of
the Law, at least twenty one days’ (21) written notice of the date on which they may be
heard; the owner of the patent and utility model certificate shall give all licensees written
notice of the hearing and they shall have the right to participate therein.
2- The Minister shall make his decision after the hearing, in writing, stating the
grounds upon which it is based, and, if he has decided that the invention shall be
exploited under paragraph (1) of Article 47 of the Law, stating the terms of exploitation,
and shall transmit the decision to the Registrar.
3- The Registrar shall record and publish the decision of the Minister and, in
writing, notify the owner of the patent and the other participants in the hearing.
4- If the decision of the Minister is the subject of petition to the Competent Court,
the Competent Court shall notify the Registrar of the court’s decision once it becomes
final, and the Registrar shall record the decision and publish it.
Rule 30.- Non-Voluntary Licenses
Non-voluntary licenses shall be fulfilled the condition as following:
1- An application for non-voluntary license under Section 12 of Chapter 2 of the
Law, shall be made on prescribed Form prescribed shall be accompanied by a statement
in duplicate of the facts upon which the applicant relies and evidence in duplicate
verifying the statement.
2- The Minister shall, within three (3) months from the date of the request for
grant of a non-voluntary license, examine whether the requirements of Articles 56 or 59
of the Law and paragraph (1) of this Rule are, prima facie, satisfied; if he finds that the
requirements are not satisfied, the Minister shall reject the request and, in writing, notify
the person requesting the non-voluntary license, stating the grounds for the rejection; if
he finds that the requirements are satisfied, the Minister shall forthwith send a copy of the
request to the patent owner, to beneficiaries of non-voluntary licenses and to persons
exploiting the patented invention under Article 59 of the Law and invite them to submit
observations thereon, in writing, to the Minister within three(3) months of the date of the
invitation.
3- The patent and utility model certificate owners shall forthwith, in writing,
notify all licensees, of the request, and the licensees shall have the right to submit
observations thereon, in writing, to the Minister within three (3) months of the date of the
invitation issued under paragraph (2) of this Rule.
4- The Minister shall forthwith notify the person requesting the non-voluntary
license of any observations submitted under paragraphs (2) and (3) hereof.
5- The Minister shall then convene a hearing to which it shall invite the person
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 13
requesting the non-voluntary license, the patent and utility model certificate owners and
the persons who submitted observations under paragraphs (2) and (3) of this Rule, giving
them at least one-month’s written notice of the date set for the hearing.
6- After the hearing, if the Minister finds that the conditions for the grant of a
non-voluntary license are fulfilled, Minister shall grant the license; otherwise, Minister
shall refuse it.
7- The decision to grant or to refuse a non-voluntary license shall be in writing
and shall state the grounds upon which it is based; in the case of a decision to grant the
non-voluntary license, shall specify, in particular:
a- the period of which the license is granted;
b- acts referred to in Article 42 of the Law the license extends;
c- the time limit within which the beneficiary of the non-voluntary license
must commence exploiting the patented and utility model inventions;
d- the terms regarding payment of remuneration to the owner of patent and
utility model certificate .
8- The Registrar shall record and publish the decision to grant or to refuse the
non-voluntary license and transmit a copy thereof to the person requesting the non-
voluntary license, the owner of the patent and utility model certificate and the persons
who submitted observations under paragraphs (2) and (3) of this Rule.
Rule 31.- Invalidation
Invalidation shall be executed as following:
1- Where the provisions of Section 13 of Chapter 2 of the Law apply only to some
of the claims or some parts of a claim, such claims or parts of a claim shall be
invalidated.
2- The patent and utility model certificate owner shall, in writing, notify any
licensee of any court proceeding instituted for the invalidation of the patent and utility
model certificate; the person requesting invalidation shall so notify any beneficiaries of
authorizations granted under Section 11 of Chapter 2 of the Law and, where the ground
of invalidity invoked is that the patent owner is not the inventor or his successor in title,
also the person alleged to have the right to the patent and utility model certificate.
Rule 32.- Change in Ownership, License Contracts
Change in ownership, license contracts shall be executed as following:
1-The request, under Article 114 of the Law, for the recording of a change of
ownership of a title granted under the Law or of an application there for shall be made to
the Registrar on prescribed Form;
2- The publication of the change of ownership shall specify;
a- the title of protection concerned;
b- the filing date, the priority date, if any, and the date of registration or
grant;
c- the owner and the new owner; and
d- the nature of the change of ownership.
3- A license contract submitted for recordal under Article 115 of the Law shall be
subjected to the payment of prescribed fee.
Rule 33.- Agents
Agent shall be executed as following:
1- The appointment of an agent under Article 116 of the Law shall be appointed
by a power of attorney which shall be signed by the applicant or, if there are more than
one, by each applicant. The address of the agent shall, for all purposes connected with the
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 14
Law and these Regulations, be treated as the address to which communications to the
person or persons who appointed the agent shall be transmitted.
2-A power of attorney stating in paragraph (1) of this Rule shall accompany with
application or shall submit within two (2) months from the filling date.
3- If the appointment of power of attorney is not made in accordance with
paragraph (2) of this Rule and Article 116 of the Law, any procedural steps taken by the
agent, other than the filling of application, shall be deemed not to have been taken.
4- Any requirement related to agent represented the applicant as provided for in,
paragraph (1) of this Rule shall be prescribed by Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy
in separated provision.
Rule 34.- Excluded Day
When the last day for doing any act or taking any proceeding falls on a day when
the Companies and the Registration Department is not open to the public for business, it
shall be lawful to do the act or to take the proceeding on the day when the Office is next
open for business.
Rule 35.- Extracts the Information and Corrections of Errors
Extracts the information and corrections of errors shall be executed as following:
1- Requests for certified copies of extracts from a Register or copies from
documents shall be made to the Registrar in writing.
2- Corrections of errors, under Article 120 of the Law, may be made by the
Registrar upon receipt of a request in writing and subject to such terms as he may
consider appropriate, or on his own initiative. Corrections was made shall be
communicated in writing to all interested persons, and, where considered necessary, shall
be published by the Registrar.
Rule 36.- Hearing
Hearing shall be executed as following:
1- Before exercising adversely to any person any discretionary power given to the
Registrar by the Law or this Declaration, the Registrar shall notify such person, in
writing, of the opportunity to be heard thereon, and indicating a time limit, which shall
not be less than one (1) month, for filing a request for a hearing.
2- The request for a hearing shall be in writing.
3- Upon receiving such request, the Registrar shall give the person applying, and
any other interested persons, at least two (2) weeks before hearing, in writing, of the date
and time of the hearing.
Rule 37.- Service by Mail
Service by mail shall be executed as following:
1- Any notice, application or other document sent to the Registrar by mail shall be
deemed to have been given, made or filed at the time when it would be delivered in the
ordinary course of the mail. In proving such sending, it shall be sufficient to prove that
the letter containing such notice, application or other document was properly addressed
and sent by registered mail.
2- Paragraph (1) of this Rule does not apply to the accordance of the filing date.
Rule 38.- Evidence
Evidence shall be executed as following:
1- Where under this Declaration, evidence may be filed; it shall be by statutory
declaration or affidavit.
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 15
2- The Registrar may, if he thinks fit, in any particular case, take oral evidence in
lieu of or in addition to such evidence and shall allow any witness to be cross-examined
on his affidavit or declaration.
Rule 39.- Statutory Declarations
Statutory declarations shall be executed as following:
1- Any statutory declaration or affidavit filed under the Law or this Declaration
shall be made before any officer authorized by law in any part of Cambodia to administer
an oath for the purpose of any legal proceedings.
2- Statutory declarations or affidavits made outside Cambodia shall be made
before official of Consulate or official of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Cambodia to
those countries.
Rule 40.- Official Gazette
Particulars of patents, utility model certificates and other proceedings under the
Law and any other information required to be published under the Law or this
Declaration and related regulation shall be published, in accordance with the directions of
the Registrar, in the Official Gazette.
Rule 41.- Fees
The fees to be paid for granting of patent and utility model certificate under the Law or
this Declaration shall be prescribed in inter-ministerial declaration of the Ministry of
Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.
Rule 42.- Settlement of Dispute
The Department of Industrial Property shall have competent to establish
mechanism for settlement of dispute related to the grant of patent, utility model
certificates as necessary.
Rule 43.- Cooperation
Department of Industrial Property shall cooperate with national, international
organizations and concerning institutions for promoting the protection of industrial
property and develop patent and utility model systems.
SECTION 3
INVENTION RELATED TO COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Rule 44.- Invention Related to Computer Software be executed
Invention related to computer software shall be executed as following:
1- Under paragraph (3) of Article 3 of the Law stating “an invention may be, or
may relate to, a product or a process” shall include:
a- process inventions which, in whole or in part, consist of steps that are
performed by computer and are directed by a computer; and
b- product inventions consisting of elements of a computer-implemented
invention, including in particular:
- machine-readable computer program codes stored on a tangible
medium such as a floppy disk, computer hard drive or computer memory; and
- a general purpose computer whose novelty over the prior art
arises primarily due to its combination with a specific computer program.
2- Applicants who have filed patent applications for computer programs and
computer-related inventions listed in paragraph (1) shall be considered as having waived
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 16
from their right of seeking copyright protection, if available, under article 10(1) of TRIPS
Agreement.
SECTION 4
TRASITIONAL PROVISION
Rule 45.- Invention Related to Pharmaceutical Products
An invention related to pharmaceutical products shall be executed as following:
1- Application for patent claiming inventions of pharmaceutical products referred
to in Article 136 of the Law, may be filed to Registration Department, in accordance with
Article 16 of the Law and concerned provisions concerned to the Law and this
Declaration, from the date of signed this Declaration.
2- The applications mentioned in paragraph (1) of this Declaration shall examine
in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 and 7 of Chapter 2 of the Law after the
expiry of the transitional period established in Article 136 of the Law.
3- As of the entry into force of the Law, the criteria of patent ability as laid down
in Articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 shall applied to the applications mentioned in paragraph (1)
and (2) of this Rule, as if those criteria were being applied on the date of filing in the
Kingdom of Cambodia or, where priority is available and claimed, the priority date of the
application.
4- The applications referred to in paragraph 1 and 2 of this Declaration shall be
granted patent protection in accordance with the Law as from the grant of the patent and
for the remainder of the patent term, counted from the filing date in accordance with
Article 45 of the Law, for those of these applications that meet the criteria for protection
referred to in paragraph 3 of this Declaration.
SECTION 5
FINAL PROVISION
Rule 46.- Implementing Authorities
General Inspector of General Inspection, Director General of General Department
of Industry, Chief of Cabinet, Director of Department of Administration, Director of
Department of Personal, Director of Department of Accounting and Finance and Director
of Department of Industrial Property shall have duty to implement this Declaration
according to their competences.
Rule 47.- Entering into Force
This Declaration enters into force from the date of signing.
Signature
SUY SEM
Minister
CC: - Council of Ministers
- Cabinet of Prime Minister
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- Ministry of Economy and Finance
- The Council for Development of Cambodia
Department of Industrial Property (DIP), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME), Cambodia 17
- Ministry of Commerce
- Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts
- Ministry of Information
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- Ministry of Justice
- Cambodian Royal Academy
- All General Departments under supervision of Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy
- All Departments under supervision of Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy
- All Provincial Departments of Industry, Mines and Energy
"for Information"
- As Rule 46 "for implementation"
- Document- Achieve