You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

April 27, 2011

Business Method Patents for Life Insurance

Bangkok Post, Corporate Counsellor Column

Since ideas, concepts, processes, or solutions to design new life insurance products are patentable business methods in other countries, it is therefore surprising that life insurance companies in Thailand are able to copy life insurance products that are newly launched in the market. Business methods are new methods of doing business often found in many industries—especially in the services business sector such as insurance, banking and finance, tax compliance, and e-commerce. Since business methods are invented to increase business competitiveness, they are protectable to encourage creativity and boost industrial growth. Patent protection of business methods appears to be the ideal means of protecting these intangible assets

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

September 10, 2019
On June 14, 2019, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed Law No. 42/2019/QH14 amending the Law on Insurance Business and the Law on Intellectual Property, which will come into effect on November 1, 2019, except for certain provisions amending the Law on Intellectual Property.
August 26, 2019
On August 13, 2019, Thailand’s Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) held a meeting to clarify its regulatory plan, which focuses on amendments to the approval process for insurance products and standard health insurance contracts. The amendments are expected to be implemented within this year.Amendments to the Approval Process for Insurance ProductsThe OIC plans to introduce a new approval system for insurance products. The amendments will reduce the timeline for approvals for insurance products as follows:
May 28, 2019
Amendments to the Non-life Insurance Act B.E. 2535 (1992) and Life Insurance Act B.E. 2535 (1992) were published in the Government Gazette  on May 25, 2019. They will come into force 180 days after publication—i.e. November 21, 2019. These amendments are the first in a series of updates that the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) intends to introduce to modernize and improve Thailand’s insurance laws.The amendments mainly focus on insurance intermediaries, i.e., agents and brokers. The key changes introduced by the amendments are as follows: