Generic drug manufacturers in Thailand tend to use names for their products that are similar to the generic name of the drug (also known as international non-proprietary name or INN), despite the fact that the trademark legislation prohibits the registration of a mark that is identical, or similar, to an INN designated by the World Health Organization.The Thai Intellectual Property and International Trade Court (IP&IT Court), a court of first instance with specialized jurisdiction over IP-related cases, has recently confirmed that the registration of such marks was forbidden.

Force majeure is an event that occurs beyond your reasonable control or anticipation. When that event prevents you from performing your contractual obligations, you are ordinarily released from liability for damages caused by that breach. The rationale is that it would not be just to blame you for breach of contract when the contract became impossible to perform through no fault of your own.

Recent trends showcase a clear intent by two of the world’s global powers to tackle corruption abroad. In recent years the United States, through the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has dramatically increased its investigation and enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In addition, in 2010 the United Kingdom acted aggressively to address an historical weakness in its anti-bribery laws by enacting the U.K. Bribery Act.

In the last couple of years the U.S., the U.K., and Europe have been considering whether business methods and computer programs can be patentable. A patent typically protects an invention that is new, not obvious, and capable of industrial application. So why is there controversy surrounding business methods and computer programs? A recent U.K. court decision of October 5, 2011, In re Halliburton Energy Services Inc, helps us to understand the current direction of the world’s lawmakers.

As a foreigner in Thailand, you may wish to open a bank account in the country to accommodate your financial needs or investment portfolios. You may therefore wonder whether you can open a bank account in Thailand and what types of accounts are available to you.There are two main types of bank accounts offered to foreigners, depending on their resident status in Thailand: a resident bank account and a non-resident bank account. This article will touch on the main differences between these account types and some other relevant conditions.

The new government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, delivered the Cabinet’s policy to the Parliament on August 23, 2011, including its objectives on policies concerning intellectual property protection.The government announced its intention to promote free and fair competition to prevent monopolies, and also stated that it would seek to promote and develop organizational roles in relation to consumer protection for both the government and private sectors and to amend and improve laws and measures to ensure fair dealing for consumers.

In the complicated business of carriage of goods by sea, multiple parties may be involved in a single shipment of goods, including a freight forwarder, shipping agent, customs agent, ship owner, ship manager, charterer, and more. Identifying the actor that may be held liable for cargo damaged in transit, under Thailand’s Carriage of Goods by Sea Act B.E. 2534 (1991) (COGSA), can be a complicated process, but it is a critical first step in recovering from the proper party.

With the increase in corporate awareness of the importance and value of intellectual property (IP), many companies are looking deep into their businesses to identify areas that could serve as value drivers. The financial service industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in IP registration and IP commercialization across the globe.