1. Legislations:
Law Concerning Marks, Trade Names and Acts of Unfair Competition (Trademark Law).

2. Definition:
“mark” means any visible sign capable of distinguishing the goods (trademark) or services (service mark) of an enterprise. “trade name” means the name or/ and designation identifying and distinguishing an enterprise.

3. Criteria:

A mark cannot be validly registered:

• if it is incapable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises;
• if it is contrary to public order or morality or good custom;
• if it is likely to mislead the public or trade circles, in particular as regards the geographical origin of the goods or services concerned or their nature or characteristics;
• if it is identical with, or is an imitation of or contains as an element, an armorial bearing, flag and other emblem, a name or abbreviation or initials of the name of , or official sign or hallmark adopted by, any State, intergovernmental organization or organization created by an international convention, unless authorized by the competent authority of that State or organization;
• if it is identical with, or confusingly similar to, or constitutes a translation of, a mark or trade name which is well known in the Kingdom of Cambodia for identical or similar goods or services of another enterprise;
• if it is identical with, or confusingly similar to, or constitutes a translation of a mark or trade name which is well known and registered in the Kingdom of ‘Cambodia for goods or services which are not identical or similar to those in respect of which registration is applied for , provided that use of the mark in relation to those goods or services would indicate a connection between those goods or services and the owner of the well-known mark that the interests of the owner of the well :known mark are likely to be damaged by such use; or
• if it is identical with a mark belonging to a different proprietor and already on the Register, or with an earlier filing or priority date, in respect of the same goods or services or closely related goods or services, or if it so nearly resembles such a mark as to be likely to deceive or cause confusion.

4. Membership:
√ – Paris Convention
√ – Madrid Protocol 

Cambodia is a member of the Paris Convention from 1998, whereby applications from convention countries will be subject to the same priority date in Cambodia. The application for priority has to be made within six months of the first application in a convention country.

5. Rule of Priority:
“First to File” is the rule followed by Cambodia in determining priority of trademarks. 

6. Duration and Renewal:
A trade mark once registered is valid for a term of 10 years and can be renewed every 10 years.