Thailand has issued new amendments to its Trademark Act, which will enter into force in the end of July, this year. In order to allow you to familiarize yourselves with the upcoming changes, our IPR SME Helpdesk expert Mr. Franck Fougere from Ananda Intellectual Property has kindly drafted for us a blog post explaining the amendments to the Trademark Act and discussing their significance for the SMEs.
The widely forecasted amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act of B.E. 2534 (1991 A.D) will become effective on July 28, 2016. Significant structural policy changes will include Thailand’s ratification of the Madrid Protocol and acceptance of sound marks for registration. Several other changes to be introduced via the Amendment will affect the mechanics of trademark registration and prosecution, and, thus, intellectual property (IP) strategy. Anticipated changes to the registration and prosecution process are discussed below. Continue reading “The 2016 Amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act – Its Changes, Significance, and Consequences” »
Today’s blog post has been kindly brought to you by our IPR expert Mr. Toby Mak from Tee & Howe Intellectual Property Attorneys. In his article, which was first published in UK Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) Journal, Mr. Mak gives a detailed overview of the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office’s final draft of the proposed revisions to the Chinese Patent Law. 
The Republic of Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 16th largest worldwide. It is also the most populous country in the region with an estimated total population of over 255 million representing a huge market opportunity for European trade.
Trade fairs in South-East Asia provide European SMEs with the opportunity to present their innovations and ideas to potential business partners and customers whilst also allowing them to learn from and collaborate with other innovators. There is, however, a risk in that disclosing their innovations to the public may leave them exposed to third parties copying and infringing their IP. Infringement of innovations may not necessarily be straightforward ‘counterfeiting’ – i.e. exact product, packaging and brand imitation. It is more likely that competitors could be using, intentionally or otherwise, a certain part of a European SME’s product or innovation. It is therefore advisable to be as diligent as possible and to get to know your competitors’ products.
Following an exciting webinar on the Madrid International Trade Mark System last week, our IPR SME Helpdesk Expert Mr. Franck Fougere from Ananda Intellectual Property has kindly drafted for us a blog post on the pros and cons of filing a trade mark application under the Madrid Protocol in Thailand.