The Bangladeshi Parliament enacted the Bangladesh Patents Bill in April 2020, it was aimed at replacing the Patent and Design Act that had been in place since 1911.
The old legislation had also been split into two different parts in 2016 with separate drafts of the Patent Act and the Design Act coming into place. The current patent bill had been placed in Parliament in November last year where it had been forwarded to the Standing Committee on Industries Ministry for reviewing.
The new law allows a technological product containing a novelty and innovation to be patented. The patent period has also been extended to 20 years from the previous 16; after which the patent will enter public domain. But inventions, scientific theories, mathematical methods, methods of performing mental work, computer programs, or business methods would not be patent protected.
Some issues have also been left out of patent protection in order to prevent commercialization within the Bangladesh domestic market and protect public ethics. A registrar office will also be established for the issuance or cancelling of patents.
The new legislation is expected to promote Bangladesh and attract foreign investments. In a 2018 Global Innovation Report, the country had been ranked the lowest in Asia for being the least innovative.
The new laws are expected to bring the country on par with aspects of TRIPS. It is also expected to bring a balance between protecting pharmaceutical innovation and availability and access to medicine.
Bangladesh still needs to develop a strong system which protects intellectual properties with proper implementation of law and adequate investments.