The scope of Thailand’s intellectual property protections was recently widened, with the new definition of marks going beyond the visual elements of a mark to include those possessing auditory characteristics. This brings Thailand in line with scores of other jurisdictions that already allow trademark registration for sound marks.The amended Trademark Act B.E. 2534 (1991) was implemented on July 28, 2016, and now includes “sound” as a category of mark. Section 4, paragraph 1 of the Act now states that:

Licensing of TV show formats is big business, generating billions of dollars in global revenue every year for show creators. In licensing popular show formats, licensees obtain security by investing in TV shows which have already been proven successful, and show creators enjoy the extra revenue streams created by licensing their shows for production and broadcast in new markets, which can strengthen their brand and increase the value of future licenses.

Practical Law Company has launched the 2017 edition of its Copyright Litigation Global Guide, with a chapter on Vietnam authored by Linh Thi Mai Nguyen and Loc Xuan Le. Previously published under the European Lawyer  brand, the latest edition has been integrated into PLC’s popular Global Guide  legal reference series of multijurisdictional Q&A guides.The Copyright Litigation Global Guide  covers a wide range of issues regarding copyright law, including:

The Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) has issued Notification No. 2633/Cabinet/MOIC (the “notification”) on November 7, 2017, which abolishes the minimum registered capital requirements for certain foreign investors in Laos.Previously, the MOIC and authorities responsible for business registration adhered to minimum registered capital requirements set out in the Law on Investment Promotion of 2009, which required foreign investors to invest minimum capital of USD 120,000 (about LAK 1 billion).

Experts on technology, media, and telecommunications law from Tilleke & Gibbins authored the Vietnam chapter of the latest edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Telecoms, Media & Internet Laws & Regulations, an overview of the laws governing the rapidly changing sectors of telecom, internet, and audiovisual distribution in 29 jurisdictions around the world.Topics covered in the guide include

The eleventh edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Telecoms, Media & Internet Laws & Regulations  presents a cross-border overview of telecoms, media, and internet laws and regulations in 27 jurisdictions worldwide. The Thailand chapter of the guide, presented in Q&A format, was contributed by Tilleke & Gibbins and covers the following topics:

As part of overall efforts to improve the business environment in Myanmar, the Union Government recently announced changes to the nation’s fiscal year calendar, while the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) has expanded eligibility for MIC benefits to companies currently operating in the country.