Intellectual property right bills have been drafted and will be submitted to the parliament soon in a bid to fill the gaps in the current copyright laws, said Dr Ba Shwe, deputy minister for science and technology.
The bills have been submitted to the attorney general’s office, whose comments are required before submission to the parliament for approval, the minister said.
The international property right bills, which are prepared to stimulate and reward both local and international patent owners, comprise of the creation of a rights bill, industrial design rights bill, trademarks bill and copyright bill, he continued.
The ministry is also set to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Korea’s Intellectual Property Office to provide assistance on this issue.
The government is also working with United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Union’s Office for Harmonization of Internal Market to achieve enactments of the intellectual property right laws.
“As foreign investment keeps pouring in, copyright laws are required to protect businesses,” said U Saw Maw Tun, a member of the upper house of parliament.
Despite a general appreciation of the establishment of copyright laws, many businessmen state that short-term and long-term plans should be developed and international standards should be incorporated into the law.
“We should consider whether international standards are compatible with the current backdrop of our country.
“Even after the laws are enacted, (authorities) need to raise public awareness of them to ensure compliance,” said Daw Khin Lay, publisher of Khit Yanant monthly magazine.
