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

September 24, 2013

WIPR: Thailand Updates Patent Examination Guidelines

Subscribe to Updates

Thailand’s guidelines for examining patents are in dire need of clarification. Thai patent examiners have been held back by unclear guidance, which has contributed toward long delays in examination and granting. In order to correct this issue, the Thai Patent Office is set to release updated guidelines for examining patents on September 30, covering pharmaceuticals and chemicals, as reported in a recent story by World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR).

According to Dr. Atthachai Homhuan, manager of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regulatory affairs group, and Wongrat Ratanaprayul, an attorney-at-law at the firm, “the guidelines emphasize and reinforce the fundamental bases of patentability according to Section 5 of the Patent Act B.E. 2522.” To provide greater clarity on patentability, “the guidelines mention that a patent may be granted only for an invention in respect of which the following conditions are satisfied—the invention is new, involves an inventive step, and is capable of industrial application.” This, they argue, will be helpful to patent examiners by ensuring “a more consistent understanding of particular claimed subjects or claim structure.”

However, as far as reducing the backlog of patent applications is concerned, Prateep Naboriboon, senior consultant and patent agent, says, “the new guidelines will only have an impact on the preliminary examination.” He continues: “In practice, the effectiveness of novelty and inventive step examination will not improve, as the examiner will still rely on foreign patents as the basis for grant, while the new guidelines will only limit the scope of allowable claims to be in line with the new public policy.”

To read the full WIPR article on Thailand’s patent examination guidelines, please visit the WIPR website.

RELATED PROFESSIONALS

Industries

Life Sciences

Practices

Intellectual Property

Regulatory Affairs

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

April 12, 2021
Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner and director of the Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, has been invited to speak at a webinar on May 7, 2021, on diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies and practices at law firms. The webinar is organized by the International Bar Association (IBA) Law Firm Management Committee and will feature insights from several members of IBA leadership as well as other senior professionals from leading law firms and companies around the world. Tiziana, who sits on the committee’s advisory board, will focus especially on how Tilleke & Gibbins develops and implements D&I policies. Her presentation will also be informed by her extensive experience fostering cooperation among law firms and legal practitioners at the international level through her work with IBA, her leadership of the Lex Mundi network, and her firm-to-firm relations as a co-managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins. The growing push for effective law firm D&I practices not only comes from internal developments but also is driven by investors who demand that companies have sound D&I policies. Law firms have been responding to these various pressures by setting D&I strategies for their own operations as well as by incorporating a D&I perspective into their client advice. This webinar will therefore delve into the practicalities of developing D&I policies for law firms and successfully carrying out those policies. For more details on the webinar, please visit the IBA website.
Read More
March 12, 2021
On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency in the country and took control of the government, arresting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior government officials from the National League for Democracy. The seizure of power, and the government’s subsequent actions to suppress public protest and dissent, have received widespread international condemnation.  The USA, Canada, and the UK have reacted by imposing economic sanctions on certain companies and individuals, and more sanctions are expected as the situation in Myanmar evolves. These sanctions pose a major concern for foreign investors with interests in Myanmar—concern which is exacerbated by the lack of clarity about the current situation on the ground. To address these issues, Lex Mundi is bringing together leading legal authorities on the topic from Myanmar, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom for a special webinar on March 23, 2021. The speakers, which include Tilleke & Gibbins counsel Ross Taylor, will discuss the situation on the ground in Myanmar; how the sanctions imposed this time differ from previous restrictions on Myanmar under earlier regimes; the impact of the sanctions imposed by each country; and the practical impact of sanctions on companies with operations in or relating to Myanmar. The session will be followed by a Q&A with all speakers, where attendees will be able to address any specific queries they might have. For more details and to register for this free webinar, please visit the event information page.
Read More
March 5, 2021
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Galeski to the firm’s corporate and commercial team in Ho Chi Minh City, in the role of counsel. With over 12 years of professional legal experience, including almost eight in Vietnam, Sarah focuses primarily on matters of employment and labor law, as well as compliance and dispute resolution. Sarah was previously the associate director of KPMG Legal in Ho Chi Minh City, and an associate with Baker & McKenzie. A native of Canada, where she is a licensed barrister and solicitor, Sarah began her legal career with Fraser Milner Casgrain in Vancouver (now Dentons Canada) before moving to Vietnam. In Vietnam, Sarah has been actively involved with the European Chamber of Commerce, serving terms as Co-Chair of the Human Resources & Training Sector Committee and as a member of EuroCham’s Executive Committee.
Read More