Intellectual property protection in Laos is weak, but steadily improving.
In 2011 the National Assembly passed a comprehensive revision of the Law on Intellectual Property, and an amended version in 2017 (though changes are not considered to be significant). After the dissolution of the Ministry of Science and Technology, MOIC now controls the issuance of patents, copyrights, and trademarks. The consolidation of responsibility for IPR is a positive development, but the enforcement capacity is insufficient. Laos is a member of the ASEAN Common Filing System on patents but lacks qualified patent examiners. In any foreign market, companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. Please see Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources
U.S. IP Attaché Contact
Name: Matthew Kohner, IP Attaché:
U.S. Embassy Thailand: Bangkok
Name: Mr. Santisouk Phounsavath, Director General of Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Address: P.O. Box: 4107, Phonxay Road, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR
Telephone: (856) 21 213 470 (Ext 154); Fax: (856) 21 213 472
E-mail: dip.laopdr@gmail.com
For additional information about treaty obligations and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles.
To access the Laos Investment Climate Statement, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website