Laos – Validation of European patents
On 13th May 2024, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) became the sixth country to sign a Validation Agreement with the European Patent Organisation (EPO), so joining the ranks of Morocco, the Republic of Moldova, Tunisia, Cambodia and Georgia. These agreements allow proprietors of European (EP) patent rights to validate their EP patent applications and granted EP patents in any or all of these six jurisdictions, and the validated patents then give equivalent rights to and are subject to the same conditions as national patents granted there.
Laos is the EPO’s second validation partner in the region of Southeast Asia. The country’s newly-signed Validation Agreement will allow companies, research institutes and inventors in Laos to co-operate more closely with the users of the European patent system around the world, and will provide a streamlined market access into Laos for EP patent applicants. The agreement will also allow applicants in Laos to benefit from the centralised search and examination performed by the EPO’s skilled examiners, so providing greater legal certainty about the strength of their patent rights and fostering an environment that encourages innovation and growth.
