WHY US?
When deciding on an IP or trademark firm to work with, it is quite natural to ask:
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Is this firm any good? Are they reliable?
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How's the quality?
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Are they prompt?
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Are they reasonably priced?
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How long have they been around?
Well, to get your answers, the best option is to go to the firm's website to find out more. ​Most of the time, you will find very informative and detailed information about the firm, telling you exactly what you want to hear, i.e. that the firm has been around for many years, provides prompt, quality, reliable and cost-effective services.
This may be true of most firms, of course, but then how do you decide on which firm to work with when most of them have the same qualities and attributes? One way is to ask for a referral from a friend or colleague. Another, more effective way is simply to try out the firm and let the work speak for itself. This is what we, at Seiter IP Consultants LLP, advocate. Like most other trademark and IP firms, we too offer high quality, prompt, reliable and cost-effective trademark, design, copyright, domain name and other business-related IP services in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries. But, we have three important differences.
You enjoy fixed fees
By engaging our services, you will have a concrete picture of the costs ahead of time.
Unlike most firms, we do not charge on an hourly rate basis for a lot of the work we do. Rather, we charge on a fixed-fee basis. We do so even for reviewing, advising and responding to office actions and/or Provisional Refusals.
We do not charge for status updates nor do we charge for initial preliminary assessment of a matter. We are able to do this because we enjoy exclusive preferred fee arrangements with our local agents.
Our clients come to us because they are frustrated in dealing with multiple agents in Southeast Asia and prefer working with one firm, one contact, without the hassle of dealing with various agents, inconsistent reporting styles, language barriers and below-par legal advice.
Although we do charge about 10% to 20% more in professional fees, there is certainly no double charge because our size allows for more flexibility with costs. ​As we have structured our business differently, we hope that you will give us the opportunity to show you how we work.
GALINA IVANOVA
Galina is involved in the day-to-day management of the firm's trademark and design portfolios of our domestic and international clients.
TRADEMARK PARALEGAL
GALINA IVANOVA
KIRAN
DHARSAN SEITER
Kiran is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and has many years of experience in managing
trademark and design
portfolios in all Asia-Pacific jurisdictions.
KIRAN DHARSAN
SEITERDHARSAN
MANAGING PARTNER
MARNI HJ. AFANDI
Marni oversees the firms' operations and manages the trademark and design portfolios of our clients domestically and internationally.
PARTNER & TRADEMARK MANAGER
MARNI HJ. AFANDI
WONG SHI HUI
Shi Hui oversees the growth strategies of the firm, identifying new opportunities whilst managing relationships with existing clients.
​WONG SHI HUI
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
GALINA IVANOVA
Galina is involved in the day-to-day management of the firm's trademark and design portfolios of our domestic and international clients.
TRADEMARK PARALEGAL
GALINA IVANOVA
KIRAN
DHARSAN SEITER
Kiran is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and has many years of experience in managing
trademark and design
portfolios in all Asia-Pacific jurisdictions.
KIRAN DHARSAN
SEITERDHARSAN
MANAGING PARTNER
MARNI HJ. AFANDI
Marni oversees the firms' operations and manages the trademark and design portfolios of our clients domestically and internationally.
PARTNER & TRADEMARK MANAGER
MARNI HJ. AFANDI
WONG SHI HUI
Shi Hui oversees the growth strategies of the firm, identifying new opportunities whilst managing relationships with existing clients.
​WONG SHI HUI
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
GALINA IVANOVA
Galina is involved in the day-to-day management of the firm's trademark and design portfolios of our domestic and international clients.
TRADEMARK PARALEGAL
GALINA IVANOVA
KIRAN
DHARSAN SEITER
Kiran is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and has many years of experience in managing
trademark and design
portfolios in all Asia-Pacific jurisdictions.
KIRAN DHARSAN
SEITERDHARSAN
MANAGING PARTNER
MARNI HJ. AFANDI
Marni oversees the firms' operations and manages the trademark and design portfolios of our clients domestically and internationally.
PARTNER & TRADEMARK MANAGER
MARNI HJ. AFANDI
WONG SHI HUI
Shi Hui oversees the growth strategies of the firm, identifying new opportunities whilst managing relationships with existing clients.
​WONG SHI HUI
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
THE BOSS
This is a great place to tell people more about yourself and peak their interest.
For more info, they can follow you on social in a click.
THE BOSS
This is a great place to tell people more about yourself and peak their interest.
For more info, they can follow you on social in a click.
THE BOSS
This is a great place to tell people more about yourself and peak their interest.
For more info, they can follow you on social in a click.
What's in a name? Everything.®
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To date, there is no specific Intellectual Property Office in Myanmar. However, a trademark can still be protected by executing a Declaration of Ownership.
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The application is filed with Myanmar's Office of the Registration of Deeds and our fees for filing a trademark in one class would be approximately US$400. We offer discounts on a case by case basis.
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The average time taken to obtain registration of a trademark is 2 months.
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The Declaration is to be accompanied by a Special Power of Attorney, that is executed by the applicant, in favor of a local trademark agent. The Special Power of Attorney must also be duly notarised, authenticated and endorsed by a Myanmar Embassy.
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Upon completion of the Declaration of Ownership, the trademark must be published in local newspapers, as a “Cautionary Notice”, to inform third parties of the trademark holder’s ownership.
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The validity period of a registered trademark is not prescribed by the current Myanmar law, but we recommend that you file your application as quickly as possible.
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It is standard practice that a trademark is to be renewed in three ways:
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By re-registering the trademark every three years.
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By re-publication of the “Cautionary Notice” every three years after the first publication. or
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By re-registration and re-publication of the trademark and “Cautionary Notice” every three years.
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Before embarking on any trademark application, we recommend you engage our services to conduct a trademark search on the Registry’s records to ascertain if your trademark is registrable and whether there are any confusingly similar marks that may block your trademark registration.
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Update August 2019:
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Myanmar has envisioned a broader process to reform its legal framework, prioritizing intellectual property, in order to facilitate and encourage business investment and expansion into Myanmar. A modern trademark system adhering to international standards is in discussion and will bring with it more clarity in regards to trademark applications, registration, maintenance, and enforcement procedures within Myanmar.
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On February 15, 2018, the Upper House of the Myanmar Parliament approved the new Myanmar Trademark Law, together with Industrial Design Law, Copyright Law, and the Patent Law. The next step is for the new Trademark Law to be approved by the Lower House of Parliament, followed by the Assembly of the Union, before submission to the President’s Office for signature. It is anticipated that the Trademark Law could come into effect in within this year or next year.
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For more information on this development, or to enquire about any of the steps above, including pre-filing trademark audits, get in touch with us today!
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