A new Indonesian regulation sets out, for the first time, the procedures for recording license agreements for trademarks, patents, and copyright. This is an important development because, without recordation, a license holder does not have the right to enforce the licensed intellectual property rights against an infringer, and the license holder’s use of the IP is not recognized as actual “use” by the IP owner.

In recent months, there has been excitement about the prospect of new electronic payment services in Thailand. News reports have described a system that will enable instantaneous funds transfer using only ID cards.From a public policy standpoint, it is challenging to move small payments to the electronic space. When that is accomplished, however, it can result in substantial benefits. For example, reducing the usage of cash can reduce the yield of robberies on the street and ultimately reduce the occurrence of robberies.

In January 2016, Decree 06/2016/ND-CP on Management, Provision, and Use of Broadcasting and TV Services (Decree 06) was promulgated, effective from March 15, 2016. Degree 06 will replace Decision 20/2011 on Pay TV and Circular 19/2009 on Coproduction of Radio and TV Programs.Below are some key highlights of Decree 06:

After Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) recently announced that it would abolish the recordation system for well-known trademarks, many questions about the status of well-known marks remained unanswered. This article will discuss whether well-known marks are still protected in Thailand, who has authority to determine whether a mark is well known, and whether a similar recordation system will be reestablished in the future.

With its huge population of 92 million, 50% of them under the age of 25, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for the world’s major franchises. In urban areas, numerous franchises in sectors such as fast food, clothing, exercise, coffee, and convenience stores can be found, with Western franchises as well as franchises from Korea and other Asian countries flourishing.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar has moved one step closer to liberalizing its trade economy. On February 19, 2016, the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce issued Notification No. 11/2016, which lifted existing trade restrictions on foreign-owned joint venture companies that prevented them from trading in certain classes of goods relating to agribusiness and medical equipment.With the removal of these trade restrictions, foreign-owned joint venture companies are now allowed to trade in the following classes of goods:

Termination Traffic Lights 2015, published by Mayer Brown in collaboration with Tilleke & Gibbins and other leading law firms, provides an overview of the level of risk and requirements associated with employment termination and related aspects in 14 countries across Asia and Australasia. David Duncan, a consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group, contributed the Thailand portion of the guide, which assesses areas including:

The final months of 2015 saw a flurry of new legislation in Vietnam’s Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector. Some of the new regulations have recently taken effect, while others will become effective later in 2016. Below we provide an overview of some key legislation: