The 3rd edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Patents provides practical cross-border insight into patent law, across 31 jurisdictions, and is presented in Q&A form. Nandana Indananda and Nuttaphol Arammuang, partner and attorney-at-law in the Tilleke & Gibbins intellectual property team, have contributed to this year’s chapter on patent law in Thailand.

Recently, international attention has been focused on two significant changes in the Asia Pacific region that could profoundly alter the conduct of business and investment: the loosening of restrictions on foreign investment in Myanmar and the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Providing a Q&A chapter for 57 other jurisdictions, The International Comparative Legal Guide has published their 9th edition on arbitration. Michael K. Lee and Doan Ngoc Tran, partner and associate in the Tilleke & Gibbins corporate and commercial group, have both contributed to this year’s chapter on arbitration in Vietnam.Specifically, the chapter covers:

The business of life insurance today in Thailand is very competitive. Insurance companies advertise heavily via radio, TV, newspapers, websites, billboards, and other media channels, attempting to convince consumers that purchasing an insurance policy is a simple and quick thing to do.

The Report: Thailand 2012, published by Oxford Business Group, provides an in-depth analysis of different sectors of the Thai economy. Tilleke & Gibbins contributed the legal section of the publication, which examines how Thailand’s legal landscape fosters growth and foreign investment.

Infringement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) continues to be a major area of concern for international brand owners operating in Vietnam. In their fight against fake goods in the country, IPR holders often need to carry out administrative raids which can be very effective in suppressing counterfeit products, but are also fraught with potential hurdles. IPR holders therefore need to carefully plan their raid actions to minimize risk and maximize the suppression effect in the market. The following tips provide the basis for carrying out effective raid actions in Vietnam.

Just last month, artificial blood vessels were made on a 3-D printer at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. One of the largest manufacturers and distributors of 3-D printers, Stratasys, has seen profits and demand climb since last year, and local companies such as AppliCAD are already profiting from sales in Thailand.

On June 18, 2012, the National Assembly of Vietnam adopted a new Labor Code which will take effect on May 1, 2013. One of the most notable issues of the new Labor Code is a provision allowing for the sublease of employees—a practice that is commonly known as labor outsourcing in other jurisdictions.This is indeed good news for foreign investors involved in the manufacturing and construction sectors, as the nature of their business often requires seasonal workers who can provide services for a short period of time to help meet project deadlines.