Myanmar: Filing an Industrial Design Application

Myanmar’s industrial design registration regime has been steadily gaining momentum since the country officially began accepting applications under the Industrial Design Law of 2019. The Industrial Design Division of Myanmar’s Intellectual Property Department (IPD) has actively advanced examination and registration procedures, and as of March 2026, approximately 300 industrial design applications have been published in the IPD’s publicly accessible database—a meaningful milestone in the development of Myanmar’s emerging intellectual property framework. This figure reflects only published applications; additional filings remain pending and will be published after the conclusion of ongoing examination.

Filing Requirements in Practice

Compliance with a defined set of mandatory requirements is the foundation for filing a valid design application. These mandatory particulars must be provided at the time of filing in order to establish a filing date.

These include the applicant’s and creator’s identifying details, a notarized appointment of representative form, the Locarno Classification of the associated product, and a set of graphic representations of the design across multiple standard views. Applicants must also provide a written description of the design and, where applicable, information relating to any priority claim or request for deferred publication. Filing fees are payable at the time of submission.

Beyond these core requirements, applicants typically need to provide supplementary documentation, either at the time of filing or in response to a formality examination. This may include evidence of the applicant’s legal entitlement to the design—particularly where the applicant and creator are different parties—as well as supporting corporate and authorization documents. Where priority rights are claimed, the relevant documents must generally be submitted within three months of the Myanmar filing date, with certified English translations required for any non-English priority applications.

The supplementary requirements may vary depending on the nature of the application and the examiner’s requests during the formality examination process.

Practical Considerations

In addition to complying with all mandatory and supplemental requirements pertaining to a design application, applicants should prioritize early preparation of supplementary documentation. Incomplete or disorganized submissions increase the likelihood of procedural objections and can delay examination considerably.

Applicants—especially those filing from abroad or with complex ownership arrangements—are encouraged to work with qualified representatives who can navigate Myanmar’s requirements efficiently and anticipate potential issues before they arise.

By Tilleke & Gibbins, Myanmar, a Transatlantic Law International Affiliated Firm. 

For further information or for any assistance please contact myanmar@transatlanticlaw.com

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