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

November 6, 2012

Canon Cracks Down on Fake Battery Grips and Batteries at Pantip Plaza

Subscribe to Updates

A major raid of retail shops at Pantip Plaza has resulted in the seizure of more than 100 counterfeit  CANON battery grips and CANON camera batteries, worth a total of THB 100,000.

The raid, which took place on November 1, 2012, was led by representatives of Canon Kabushiki Kaisha in collaboration with police officers from the Economic Crime Division, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Chaiwat Pradabthai, and officers from the Department of Intellectual Property, under a search warrant issued by the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court.

The owners of the shops were charged with trademark infringement offenses, which carry a maximum penalty of four years of imprisonment or a fine of THB 400,000, or both.

“Canon is strongly committed to stamping out the presence of fake CANON battery grips and CANON camera batteries in the Thai market,” said Mr. Cyril Chua, partner of ATMD Bird & Bird, Singapore, the representative of Canon. “This raid was the latest in our ongoing efforts to ensure that Thai consumers are not harmed by the criminal activities of infringers, as fake batteries can overheat, for example, causing damage to users.”

Canon plans to coordinate with the Economic Crime Division to continue to undertake more raids against companies and retail shops in Bangkok and upcountry to eliminate all counterfeit products in the Thai market.

Tilleke & Gibbins, the Thai law firm advising Canon, expressed support for this important raid action. “We are pleased that police have acted out of concern that consumers could be deceived about the origin and quality of these questionable products,” said Darani Vachanavuttivong, co-managing partner and managing director of the firm’s intellectual property group. “It is essential that the Royal Thai Police sustain this campaign against the infringers who produce and distribute these dubious products, and the authorities can count on full support from Canon and Tilleke & Gibbins for these enforcement efforts.”

RELATED PROFESSIONALS

Practices

Intellectual Property

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

May 9, 2022
On April 26, Darani Vachanavuttivong, managing partner of the firm’s intellectual property department, led an ASEAN Intellectual Property Association (ASEAN IPA) webinar titled “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future” to celebrate World IP Day 2022. Appearing in her capacity as president of the ASEAN IPA, Darani welcomed three young presenters to the virtual event. The three young innovators, who were were from Chulalongkorn University, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and New York University, gave presentations on the following topics, respectively: Intellectual Property Law and Thailand’s Higher Education USPTO: US and ASEAN Youth Initiatives Digitalization and Innovation in Today’s Legal Industry The session emphasized this year’s world IP day theme (“IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future”) and inspired upcoming leaders across the region to embrace innovation, technology, and IP as part of their future.
Read More
April 8, 2022
On April 7, Tilleke & Gibbins, in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lao PDR and the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk, offered a webinar titled “Intellectual Property in Lao PDR.” In the webinar, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Laos, gave an introduction to the Lao regulatory and legal framework for trademarks, and then focused on a few common areas of concern for international businesses looking to do business in Laos. These specific topics included: How to register and enforce trademarks in Laos; Parallel import issues; and Franchise and license agreements. The session helped increase awareness of the value of intellectual property and risk mitigation strategies. Attendees were also able to address their questions to Dino, who provided guidance based on his extensive experience with the regulatory regime for intellectual property in Laos.
Read More
April 7, 2022
Tiziana Sucharitkul, managing partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, provided in-depth insights on diversity and inclusion and law firms for a recent article in Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ) on diversity and inclusion in law firms across Asia. In the article, which was published on March 30, 2022, Tiziana offers insights gained in her years in senior leadership at Tilleke & Gibbins and as a longtime advocate for law firm diversity and inclusion initiatives. The article begins by contrasting the demand for greater diversity among Western law firms—especially by corporate counsel—with attitudes in Asia, where questions of expertise and service often take precedence when it comes to legal work. The writer then quickly shifts to investigating the reasons for this, as well as exploring the current state of diversity in the Asian legal industry today. This section of the article leads with Tiziana’s explanation that leadership of Asian law firms are in a very different context than the social tensions that catalyzed many diversity initiatives in the West. However, this does not necessarily mean that diverse representation has lagged in this part of the world. Rather, as Tiziana points out, “Southeast Asian countries have some of the highest proportions of women in senior business leadership in the world.” She also notes that markers such as gender diversity and respect for minority rights can vary widely across Asia. Elsewhere in the article, other senior law firm leaders express similar observations and provide details on the diversity challenges in their countries of focus. For example, an expert on diversity in the Indian legal profession notes that local diversity concerns must also consider caste discrimination, and a partner at a global firm in Singapore speaks about the challenges of developing diversity policies that fit each local context. Tiziana
Read More
April 1, 2022
At the annual general meeting of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) on March 24, Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut, a partner in the firm’s corporate and commercial group in Bangkok, was elected as IPBA’s jurisdictional committee member for Thailand. In the role, Pimvimol will be responsible for membership issues in Thailand, and will be the key point of contact for matters concerning activities in the jurisdiction. She will serve as Thailand’s jurisdictional committee member for three years (2022–2025). The IPBA is a prestigious international association of business and commercial attorneys active or with a strong interest in the Pacific region. The IPBA has a membership of more than 1,500 legal professionals from over 65 countries and jurisdictions. Through its activities, the IPBA provides lawyers interested in the Asia-Pacific with opportunities to discuss legal, business, and policy issues affecting the region and grow in their legal practice through professional networking. For more information on the IPBA and its activities, please visit the IPBA website.
Read More