Following adoption of the new Labor Code (in force since May 1, 2013), the government of Vietnam recently issued Decree 102/2013/ND-CP (Decree 102) elaborating the Labor Code’s provisions on foreign nationals working in the country. Under Decree 102, which took effect on November 1, 2013, employers using foreign workers will be required to submit an annual “foreign labor demand report” to the local authorities.

In the August 2013 issue of Informed Counsel, we updated readers on the return of talks about enacting legal measures against landlords whose acts contribute to copyright and trademark infringement committed by their tenants. Tilleke & Gibbins, in collaboration with the Department of Intellectual Property, is now making progress on this project as part of an initiative to introduce legal measures, which will hopefully contribute to significantly reducing copyright and trademark infringement in Thailand.

Myanmar is at an important political and economic crossroads. Spearheaded by the reform-minded government of President Thein Sein, Myanmar has set a path toward a more liberalized democracy, greater political reconciliation, and the promotion of a mixed, internationally linked economy.

Myanmar is in the throes of substantial political and economic reform. Investors are eager to engage in the economic opportunity Myanmar has on offer, but are understandably concerned about the lack of certainty in the legal process and particularly when it comes to the resolution of commercial disputes. One reason for such caution is the fact that during its extended period of isolation, there has been a substantial and near total absence of large scale commercial litigation in the Myanmar courts.

In Thailand, the government grants special privileges to certain types of business entities in order to incentivize their creation. One such type of business entity is the Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH), which benefits from a number of tax incentives.There are, however, some requirements that must be met before a company can be categorized as an ROH. First, the company must be incorporated in Thailand. Second, the company must conduct business in Thailand by providing support services to its associated companies and/or branches, wherever they may be.

It has become conventional practice throughout the world for countries with established systems of intellectual property to offer copyright protection for computer programs. Indonesia, for example, provides copyright protection for computer programs for a period of 50 years from the date of first publication.

The Vietnamese government recently enacted a new regulation on administrative sanctions in cases of industrial property infringement. Decree No. 99/2013/ND-CP, dated August 28, 2013 (Decree 99), came into effect on October 15 of this year, replacing Decree 97/2010/ND-CP (Decree 97).

Abraham Lincoln once said, “The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.” It was an unmistakably true statement; patents have undoubtedly become an essential tool for protecting new inventions. Not only do patents guard against the unauthorized use of an inventor’s creation, but they foster innovation by granting exclusive legal rights for limited durations.