🇰🇭 Cambodia · reviewed 2026-10-09
Franchise law and registration in Cambodia
Cambodia has no franchise act, but it does have a filing that decides whether the agreement works against anyone outside the contract. Add a young competition law that bans minimum resale prices, and the rulebook is short but not empty.
The legal base
- Cambodia has no franchise-specific statute. Franchising is governed by the Civil Code, the Law Concerning Marks, Trade Names and Acts of Unfair Competition (2002), and Ministry of Commerce rules on recording licence and franchise contracts. Secondary · Tilleke & Gibbins, Franchising in Cambodia, 2019-11-26
- There is no mandatory pre-sale disclosure, cooling-off period or minimum term. Secondary · Tilleke & Gibbins, Franchising in Cambodia, 2019-11-26
- The Ministry of Commerce has said a franchise law is planned. A draft Law on Commercial Contracts with franchise provisions has not been enacted, and no timetable has been published. Secondary · Asia IP on the planned franchise law, 2024-01-01
Recording the agreement
- Ministry of Commerce Prakas 036 of 13 January 2020 covers recording of trademark licensing, sub-licensing, franchising and sub-franchising agreements with the Department of Intellectual Property Rights. The request is filed within six months of the agreement's effective date; a recording lasts up to five years and can be renewed. Secondary · DFDL on MOC Prakas 036, 2020-02-01
- An unrecorded agreement remains valid between the parties but has no effect against third parties. It can also block a claim for damages and leave the mark open to cancellation for non-use, because the franchisee's use may not count as the owner's. Secondary · Tilleke & Gibbins on licence recording, 2015-11-03
Competition law
- The Law on Competition, promulgated on 5 October 2021, bans vertical agreements that impose minimum resale prices; franchise clauses on price, exclusive supply or territory may need review. The Competition Commission's Decision No. 087 of 2 April 2024 sets the procedure for requesting an exemption. Secondary · Tilleke & Gibbins on competition-law exemptions, 2025-06-04
More on Cambodia
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