The recent live shredding of a Banksy painting by its frame at a Sotheby’s auction served as a strong reminder of the interplay between art and copyright. Shortly after the Banksy print entitled “Girl with Balloon” was sold, the frame in which it was housed proceeded to shred half the work in front of the auction attendees. This event raised numerous questions. Would the buyer still want the piece? Was Banksy entitled to destroy his work after it had been sold? Is the purchaser of a work of art allowed to do whatever they want with it, including mutilate or destroy the work?

On January 28, 2019, Thailand’s National Council for Peace and Order issued Order No. 1/2562 (the Order) granting the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) the right to suspend cannabis-related patent applications on legal grounds. This development is in response to the ongoing legalization of medical cannabis in Thailand, and has raised a number of thought-provoking issues.The NCPO Order    

After more than three years of deliberation and consultation with multiple stakeholders and industry experts, Myanmar’s new Science, Technology and Innovation Law (No. 22/2018) (the Law) was finally enacted into law on June 25, 2018. The Law, which repealed the old Science and Technology Development Law (No. 5/1994), is set to introduce substantial changes to collaborative innovation practices in the country.