Proposed court could guard IP rights

The Council of Ministers is considering setting up a Commercial Court to assist with enforcement of intellectual property rights in Cambodia, Ministry of Commerce Director General Ly Phana said.

Speaking at a “Disposal of Goods” workshop in Siem Reap, he said that some US$200 billion in counterfeit products were traded internationally each year, and that the Kingdom lacked a specific court to settle intellectual property issues such as disputes over fake goods.

“The government is thinking of setting up a commercial court,” he said Monday. “Studies have been conducted and regulations relating to setting up this court have been submitted to the Council of Ministers for review.”

The Kingdom has laws against fake products drafted with assistance from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, but enforcement had been spread between various provincial and municipals courts, the Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, he said.

Enforcement of rights in a dedicated court would help build investors’ faith in the Cambodian market, according to a Ministry of Commerce Department of Intellectual Property Rights official.