Attorneys from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Bangkok office have written the Thailand chapter of the newly released Fashion Law 2021, a guide to law surrounding the business of fashion in jurisdictions around the world. The guide covers 18 key jurisdictions for the global fashion industry, offering insights into local legal frameworks surrounding vital issues such as brand enforcement and protection, e-commerce and marketing, and sustainability considerations. The Thailand chapter of Fashion Law 2021 provides detailed information on the following topics: Trademarks, designs, copyright, and other intellectual property types, as well as the main intellectual property legal tools available to protect fashion products in Thailand. Strategic local contractual arrangements for manufacturing, distributing, and advertising fashion products. Overview and application of online marketing regulations and consumer protection regulations in Thailand. The most relevant unfair competition rules for fashion businesses and local courts’ interpretation and enforcement of the rules. ESG (environmental, social, and governance) concerns and sustainability issues for the fashion industry. Customs monitoring and local import and export guards against counterfeit products. Frequently asked questions and common concerns regarding fashion business operations in Thailand. The full Thailand chapter is available for free on the Global Legal Post website, or it can be downloaded as a PDF through the button below. Tilleke & Gibbins also contributed the Vietnam chapter to the guide.

Michael Ramirez, a counsel in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group in Bangkok, has updated the firm’s contribution to the Global Attorney-Client Privilege Guide, published by Lex Mundi. The newly expanded guide provides information on what constitutes attorney-client privilege in over 70 countries around the world. The Thailand section of the guide contains in-depth information on the function and applications of attorney-client privilege in Thailand (or, as explained in the guide, an equivalent concept enshrined in Thai law), including coverage of the following topics: Privilege in corporations Common interest doctrine Litigation funding Crime-fraud exception Work product doctrine/litigation privilege Other privileges including mediation, accountant-client and settlement negotiation The interactive guide features expert contributions by Lex Mundi member firms from jurisdictions worldwide. Readers can browse the contributions, generate country-specific reports, and compare attorney-client privilege in multiple jurisdictions. For more information, please visit the Lex Mundi website.

In August 2021, the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) of Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights held a virtual session on the draft revision of Patent Law No. 13 of 2016 to apprise relevant stakeholders of the draft amendments and maintain transparency in the drafting process. The Patent Law is being amended to correspond with the Job Creation Law (Law No. 11 of 2020), which requires adjustments to regulations to bring them in line with international standards, balanced with national interests. One of the purposes of the Job Creation Law is to speed up and simplify business processes, so the proposed amendments to the Patent Law aim to support this objective. The draft update to the Patent Law contains a number of notable changes, as laid out below. Computer programs Under both the current law and the draft law, computer programs are not considered inventions and thus cannot be patented. However, the draft law does allow computer-implemented inventions and computer-related inventions, while specifying that computer programs by themselves are not allowed. Discoveries The draft law allows patents for a new use of an existing product or for a new form of an existing compound that significantly increases efficacy and has no related chemical structural differences from the known compound. This allowance will be particularly advantageous for inventions related to second medical uses. Application grace period The draft law increases the time allowed for filing a patent application to 12 months after the disclosure of the invention (from the current grace period of six months). This longer allowance will especially benefit researchers and inventors who require scientific publication of their research results as well as patent protection. Patent implementation by other parties The draft law allows implementation of a patent not only in terms of production, but also

As part of its membership in Lex Mundi, Tilleke & Gibbins has published an updated edition of its Guide to Doing Business in Thailand for 2021. This guide outlines all of the key factors for starting and operating a business in the Thai market. Issues covered include: Investment incentives Financial facilities Exchange controls Import and export regulations Structures for doing business Requirements for the Establishment of a Business Operation of the Business Cessation or Termination of the Business Labor legislation, relations, and supply Tax Immigration requirements This publication is part of Lex Mundi’s Guides to Doing Business series prepared by member firms in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide. The guides serve as a useful resource when planning an international business strategy or researching a new market.