INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
MORE ABOUT OUR IP DEPARTMENT
To prosper in today’s global economy, companies must both protect and commercialize their creations of the mind and intangible assets; accordingly, it is essential to conform to, implement and maintain all intellectual property institutional and legal structures. At Anurak & Associates, the Intellectual Property Department works closely with domestic and international clients to protect and enforce their intellectual property (IP) rights and handles all IP aspects for Thailand including filing, licensing, renewal, enforcement, and prosecution of Copyrights, Trademarks, Domain Names, Trade Secrets, Geographical Indicators, and Patents, and also oversees IP registrations and other IP matters in all ASEAN countries through its affiliates. Additionally, Anurak & Associates’ Litigation Department offers expert legal advice on civil and criminal Intellectual Property cases under Thai law, and the firm has close working relationships with the police, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, and the Department of Special Investigations in the Ministry of Justice.
In recent years, Thailand has vastly improved its IP rights protection through determined political commitment, major legislative reforms, strengthened law enforcement, proactive actions to combat piracy and by raising awareness. The Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court was established in 1996 where IP cases are decided by career judges and associate judges, separately recruited laymen, who possess competent knowledge and are experienced in intellectual property and international trade. The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) at the Ministry of Commerce governs Thailand’s IP rights system and through its recordation and registration procedures offers IP protection for trademarks, patents, designs, plant varieties, and layout & design of integrated circuits. The DIP is also responsible for domestic Thai IP protection, facilitating mediation, and settling disputes. Thailand is a party to the Berne Convention, is a WTO member and party to Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, acceded to the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 2009, and is a member of the Madrid Protocol Concerning the International Registration of Trademarks since 2017.
International Registrations under Madrid Protocol
Notifications for the first group of national phase registrations for Thailand under the Madrid Protocol were released in June 2019. While the Madrid Protocol allows for multiple international trademark registrations by using one application, any required office actions must be handled by a trademark professional in the issuing country. Anurak & Associates specializes in office actions for international registrations.
