Although the Thai government’s recent compulsory license initiatives have received a great deal of media attention, the concepts underlying compulsory licensing are still widely misunderstood. This article provides an introduction to the key issues.

As the development of new innovations in the field of medical biotechnology becomes ever more rapid, the patent offices of Japan, the United States, and Europe have combined efforts to better understand and harmonize procedures and activities with respect to patent protection in this area. Thailand, however, does not seem to follow the international pattern for patentability of biotechnology-related patents. This article examines the Thai situation.

Imagine yourself standing silently with your relatives in a hospital’s ICU, staring at the still figure of a loved one lying helplessly in bed. At that moment, your greatest wish is for that loved one to be able to speak even for the last time to let you, his doctor, and everyone there know whether he would like to have his life support system and medical treatment continued, withheld, or withdrawn. Now, such an indication, or a “living will,” is recognized and can be made for the first time under Thai law. This article examines the relevant provision of the National Health Act.

Following a draft that had been originally presented for discussion since 2002, the Thai government has now enacted the Computer Crimes Act. The final version of the law has incorporated many changes from previously distributed drafts. This article provides a general overview of the new law and a commentary on significant issues which have been the subject of public questions and discussion.

Recent meetings between U.S. business interests and the Thai Ministry of Public Health painted a grim picture for the American reaction to Thailand’s broad-based imposition of compulsory licenses for patented pharmaceutical products.

Intellectual property rights owners are increasingly feeling the pressure and seeing revenue losses due to competition from the counterfeit goods that are invading the global market. The global society also suffers from the physical and emotional pain of the countless people—many of them children—who are either slaves to these criminal black marketers or victims of their faulty products. Part I of this two-part feature introduces the issues.

The draft amendment to the Patent Act proposed by the Department of Intellectual Property includes several reforms and new additions to the current law. One of the most prominent changes which would directly affect research-based pharmaceutical companies is the new provisions on pharmaceutical compulsory licenses. These new provisions are to be added to the current law, under which the procedure for issuance of compulsory licenses by government departments remains ambiguous.

If an employer needs to temporarily cease operations wholly or partially for any reason other than force majeure, Thailand’s Labor Protection Act allows for the possibility of cessation of operations as an alternative to layoffs. By exercising this option, the employer is obliged to pay the affected employees 50% of their normal wages prior to the cessation of operations and must give notice to the employees and the labor inspection officer in advance. This article describes the requirements under the law and the potential benefits for both employers and employees.