Trademarks, creative designs, innovations, and literary and artistic works created by MSME entrepreneurs can all be protected under the intellectual property system, ensuring legal protection for their creations.
Chairman of the State Administration Council, Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered a speech at the opening of the International Conference on Intellectual Property (2025) at the Jasmine Naypyitaw Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
The Senior General unveiled the ceremony by applying digital technology.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General said that intellectual property (IP) is important and indispensable in the areas of international trade, foreign investment, and scientific and technological collaboration.
He continued that to foster greater innovation and creativity, it is necessary to establish a system that connects universities, research institutions, and MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise) businesspersons.
He pointed out that a robust intellectual property system plays a crucial role in building a modern and developed nation, significantly supporting industrial development and helping attract greater foreign investment.
He noted that the conference aims to enhance intellectual property (IP) awareness and knowledge, promote innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship, foster greater investment, trade, and commerce, and support the country’s economic development.
The Senior General highlighted that the conference is being organized with the theme of building a strong intellectual property ecosystem that encourages innovation, drives economic growth, and helps preserve cultural heritage in Myanmar.
He emphasized that to effectively protect the interests of the people and their creative innovations, four types of intellectual property laws were enacted in 2019: the Trademark Law, the Industrial Design Law, the Patent Law, and the Copyright Law. The Trademark Law, Industrial Design Law, and Copyright Law came into force in 2023, while the Patent Law came into effect in 2024 to provide legal protection and promote innovation.
He recounted that Myanmar, being a member of the World Trade Organization-WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization-WIPO has to follow the Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement in addition to taking part in the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Co-operation.
The Senior General explained that Myanmar is currently implementing the ASEAN Regional Intellectual Property Action Plan under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The country is also aligning its intellectual property practices with those of other regional and ASEAN member states.
He underscored that Myanmar is also implementing its national-level Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) 2018–2030.
He stressed that as intellectual property (IP) plays a role within this plan, the use of an effective IP system can greatly support the promotion of innovation across all sectors, including the establishment of sustainable and long-lasting industrial enterprises.
The Senior General noted that the trademarks used, creative designs produced, innovations developed, and literary and artistic works created by MSME entrepreneurs can all be protected under the intellectual property (IP) system, ensuring legal protection for their creations.
He spotted that connecting universities and research institutions with MSME businesspersons to help bring innovations and creations to the market is a system commonly practised in economically developed countries. Therefore, it is also necessary to promote and strengthen the use of intellectual property in the MSME sector.
By studying and analyzing knowledge and findings from intellectual property research papers, he expressed his firm belief that intellectual property insights capable of addressing challenges and problems in the IP field will improve and expand. The acquired knowledge can then be effectively shared and applied for mutual benefit.
The Senior General and attendees viewed a documentary on 2025 (International Conference on Intellectual Property-2025) and visited the exhibition to mark the International Conference on Intellectual Property-2025.
Also, present at the ceremony were Council Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo, council members, Union-level dignitaries, Union ministers, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman, deputy ministers and officials in addition to internal and external IP experts, rectors from universities, resource persons, legal experts, IP doctorate trainees and guests.
The conference will last till 4 July, and internal and international resource persons will participate in discussions under relevant topics. — MNA/TTA
