Timor-Leste Approves First Industrial Property Code

Timor-Leste was admitted as the 11th member state of ASEAN in October 2025, 14 months after it became the 166th member of the World Trade Organization. Both memberships carry intellectual property obligations, including compliance with the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement.

On 22 September 2026, the National Parliament unanimously approved the Industrial Property Code to meet those obligations. The Code is Timor-Leste’s first law on industrial property, covering inventions, trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications, among others. It fills a gap in the country’s IP legislation: Timor-Leste already has copyright legislation, but until now it had no legislation on industrial property.

Brand owners and inventors have relied on cautionary notices published in local newspapers to assert their rights and deter infringement. A notice can serve as evidence of ownership and prior use, but it is not a registered right. Timor-Leste's market may be small, but it is growing and brand owners will want their rights to be registrable and enforceable.

According to the World Bank, Timor-Leste's GDP grew 4.5% in 2025 and is forecast to grow 4.1% in 2026. Timor-Leste is also heavily dependent on imports – in 2025 it imported USD 960 million worth of goods and exported USD 41 million. Most branded consumer goods, electronics and pharmaceuticals sold in the country are made elsewhere. Without registered rights, their owners are exposed to counterfeiting and to the risk of local parties filing for their trademarks first.

Local companies stand to gain too. The Government expects the Code to strengthen the protection of national products and add to their value. Coffee is Timor-Leste’s largest non-oil export, with export value doubling from USD 17 million in 2024 to USD 35 million in 2025. For example, Ermera, a high-altitude municipality known for its organic Arabica beans and producing about half of the country’s coffee, is a natural candidate for GI protection.

The Code will provide the legal foundation for registration of IP rights in Timor-Leste, which will become clearer once the legislation is published. The next milestone is a functioning IP office, which Timor-Leste is progressing towards under a two-year operational roadmap with support from WIPO.  Once operational, businesses will be able to access IP services to secure protection for their brands, designs and inventions in the growing market of ASEAN's newest member.

Our team regularly monitors developments across ASEAN, including Timor-Leste. If you are considering patent, trade mark or design filings in this region, we can help assess your filing strategy and prioritise jurisdictions based on your commercial objectives. For further information, please contact our team at mail@marks-clerk.com.sg.

Subscribe to receive more articles like this here.

The Code is Timor-Leste’s first law on industrial property, covering inventions, trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications.