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

May 24, 2021

Tilleke & Gibbins Lawyers Interviewed on Blockchain Technology

Subscribe to Updates
Asia IP

Two associates from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Hanoi office shared their thoughts on the impact of blockchain technology on intellectual property in an in-depth article published by Asia IP magazine.

Attorney Anh Hoai Nguyen explained that blockchain opened up new opportunities for individuals and SMES, encouraging them to “participate in the niche of IP rights protection, which has so far been dominated mostly by industrial giants with sufficient resources to follow the complicated and lengthy procedures of IP registration, management and enforcement. Blockchain technology could greatly simplify such procedures and make them more straightforward, allowing almost anyone on the Internet to claim ownership of their IP rights.”

Consultant Duc Anh Tran added that despite its promise, blockchain also introduces some challenges. “For example, blockchain can only provide proof of existence/creation or first use of a work, without being able to guarantee the trustworthiness of it. The only thing it can guarantee is that such work has not been tampered with. Therefore, blockchain cannot give definitive evidence that the person who registers the work on the chain is in fact the original creator of the work. In fact, nothing can prevent a malicious participant from adding a pirated version of the work to the blockchain, as there is no requirement for such participant to attach any kind of evidence of ownership together with the work.”

Concluding the article, Hoai Anh expressed optimism for the future of blockchain in IP: “Especially in this new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many cases where blockchain could help provide solutions to urgent global needs. For example, in the healthcare sector, blockchain could aid in the improvement of supply chain management, the collection, aggregation and access to research data, or clinical credentialing management. There is no doubt that the practical application and legal implications of blockchain still have to be thoroughly assessed, given the many challenges. However, if states, and especially regulators and legislators, are determined to create an ecosystem conducive to the widespread adoption and development of blockchain, the above-mentioned issues have many chances to be addressed.”

Asia IP, published by the Apex Asia Media Group, is a leading source for analysis of the IP issues facing companies in Asia, and a source of market intelligence for IP owners in the region. The full article can be read at the Asia IP website (free registration required).

RELATED PROFESSIONALS

Industries

Technology

Practices

Intellectual Property

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

August 9, 2021
On August 5, Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh and Peerapong Pornpipatkul of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group in Bangkok were welcomed as keynote speakers for a session entitled “Legal Unfolded” under the Startup Starter Kit series. Hosted by Global Startup Thailand—an initiative cofounded by Startup Thailand and the National Innovation Agency (NIA)—the Startup Starter Kit series is designed to provide practical business advice to local and international entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on new opportunities in Thailand. During the session, Athistha and Peerapong led attendees through an in-depth look at common legal concerns for startups in Thailand, including extensive discussions on: local laws and legal issues to consider before fundraising; negotiating term sheets, share subscription agreements, and shareholders’ agreements; Thai cybersecurity and data protection laws; and potential exit strategies for entrepreneurs. For more information on the webinar, which was delivered in Thai, please visit the event page.
Read More
July 16, 2021
Eric Meyer, a foreign consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, was profiled in the latest issue of Thai-American Business (T-AB), the quarterly magazine of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM). As co-chair of the AMCHAM Legal Committee, Eric is extremely active in the American business community in Thailand. He applies his unique combination of legal expertise and practical awareness of business concerns in Thailand to identify topics and organize events that are interesting and relevant to a broad range of people. In the T-AB profile, Eric recounts how he came to be involved in AMCHAM after joining Tilleke & Gibbins four years ago, and notes that participation in the group has been an excellent way to stay current with the business community and build connections with professionals across various industries. In response to a question on the outlook for ease of doing business in Thailand, Eric sounded a hopeful note, explaining that the country’s strides in the areas of streamlining and digitizing various aspects of doing business should be able to continue after COVID-19, which has actually hastened digitization in several legal areas that had previously been slower to adapt to recent technological advances. Eric now looks forward to continuing to provide important leadership to the AMCHAM Legal Committee as the country and its business community seek to overcome the persistent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and move toward a sustainable economic recovery.
Read More
June 25, 2021
On June 24, Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group and head of the firm’s data privacy and cybersecurity team, joined and facilitated an online session entitled “Preparing and Implementing PDPA compliance policies in Thai companies.” Hosted in collaboration with True Digital Group and True Digital Park, subsidiaries of leading communication conglomerate True Corporation, the session provided insight on PDPA preparation and implementation from both legal and practical perspectives. Athistha led the discussion from the legal advisory side, including updates on the government’s decision to further postpone enforcement of the law, while Manita Kansap, a data privacy specialist from True Digital Group, provided insight from the perspective of an in-house implementer. A recording of the webinar, which was presented in Thai, is available on Tilleke & Gibbins’ YouTube channel.
Read More
June 8, 2021
The latest “Women in Law” report from Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ) includes a profile of Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner and director of the Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group. The special report includes profiles of 20 highly accomplished female legal professionals from the Asia-Pacific region. Tiziana is the only person from Thailand to be included in the feature. Titled “View from the Top,” the profile of Tiziana focuses on her many leadership roles—not only at the helm of Tilleke & Gibbins but also in executive and advisory positions for various global legal associations. For instance, in 2018–2019 Tiziana served as chair of the board of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading global network of independent law firms, and she currently sits on the board of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation and is an active participant in the organization’s Women’s Initiative Network to Success. Tiziana also sits on the International Bar Association’s Law Firm Management Committee, which functions as a global forum for leadership and management in the legal practice. Tiziana also spoke with ABLJ about the increasing profile of women lawyers that she has witnessed during her career, noting that she observed the concern about female representation in law firms grow throughout the 1980s and 1990s all the way until the present day, when more women can be seen in management positions, but are still somewhat underrepresented at the managing partner level overall. To read the full “Women in Law” report, please visit the ABLJ website.
Read More