Since 2007, Thailand has found itself on the Priority Watch List (PWL) of the U.S. Trade Representative Special 301 Report—a list which identifies countries that provide inadequate and ineffective protection of intellectual property rights or unfair and inequitable market access to U.S. persons that rely on intellectual property rights. The Thai government, including the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), has taken several steps to address the issues and endeavor to have Thailand removed from the PWL, in an effort to improve the country’s image as a safe choice for investment.

In Thailand, the names ascribed by generic drug manufacturers to their pharmaceutical products are often similar to the names of pharmaceutical substances identified under the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) system, a World Health Organization (WHO) naming system designed to facilitate the identification of pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients. Generic drug manufacturers gain an advantage through this practice, as names which closely resemble an INN are easily recognizable, and thus, are more likely to be sold by pharmacists and purchased by consumers.

Since Myanmar liberalized its economy in 2011, the country has experienced a surge of foreign direct investment and visiting tourists. Official government figures show that tourist arrivals have risen from below 1 million in 2011 to over 3 million in 2014, with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism setting an ambitious target of 4.5 to 5 million tourist arrivals in 2015.

The advent of mobile computing has resulted in widespread use of portable technology in Thailand. The affordability of portable devices, combined with an insatiable thirst for the latest technological triumph to hit the market, has led to unparalleled access to various means of communication and a perpetual stream of cutting-edge innovations.

Thailand’s Copyright Act B.E. 2537 (1994) came into force on March 21, 1995. Over the course of the nearly 20 years since its passing, the Act had previously remained unchanged, devoid of any amendments, despite numerous attempts by legislators to strengthen copyright protection and modernize the law to keep up with technological changes.

Martial law has been in force in Thailand since last May 20, when it was invoked by the military, which staged a full-scale coup two days later to bring an end to months of street demonstrations and political turmoil. While it certainly has had an effect on political protests, martial law also has ramifications for another form of social protest—labor disputes.

Getting the Deal Through – Arbitration 2015, published by Law Business Research, delivers a comprehensive overview of arbitration law in 60 jurisdictions around the world. The guide’s Thailand chapter, written by Kornkieat Chunhakasikarn and John King of the Tilleke & Gibbins dispute resolution group, provides a detailed examination of arbitration law in Thailand. In particular, the chapter covers the following main subjects:

In the fast-evolving and highly competitive technology industry, software developers and owners should exercise strong vigilance to ensure that their creations are properly guarded within the ambit of intellectual property rights. Protecting software, however, involves complex, interrelated issues that encompass a mix of copyright, patent, trademark, and trade secrets law.In this article, we will examine what people in the software industry should know to adequately protect their creations and operate their business with fewer hitches.