Intellectual Property Unit

The Intellectual Property Division (IPD) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs is the responsible agency for administration of the industrial property system. The IPD is also assigned the task of promoting the establishment of a comprehensive intellectual property protection system in the country which will include in addition to protection of trademarks, the institution of protection regimes for patents, designs, copyright and other intellectual property rights.

The adoption of two acts, viz., the Industrial Property Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan, 2001, and the Copyright Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan, 2001, by National Assembly at its 79th Session, has initiated steps towards introducing an effective system for the protection of intellectual property rights in the Kingdom. Under the first act, the registries for trademarks, patents and designs will be formally established and facilities for registration of rights commenced in due course following training of sufficient numbers of manpower to handle skilled tasks. Under the Copyright Act, the IPD will be involved in setting up collective copyright management and administration societies and in the dissemination of information on copyright matters as well as promoting enforcement of rights.