Industries
Automotive
Technology

Practices
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Intellectual Property

Location
Thailand

Languages
Thai
English
Korean

Education

LLM, Chulalongkorn University

LLB, Thammasat University

Ploynapa Julagasigorn
+66 2056 5866

Biography

Ploynapa Julagasigorn is an accomplished and versatile senior associate in Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property group. Her practice encompasses a wide range of domestic and cross-border intellectual property matters as a strategic advisor, an enforcer of intellectual property rights in Thailand, and a litigator in intellectual property prosecution and infringement disputes. With her broad expertise and experience working across all aspects of intellectual property law in Thailand, Ploynapa provides practical and actionable legal opinions on intellectual property matters and legal compliance issues, and executes complex legal research projects for international and transnational trade promotion organizations such as the Japan External Trade Organization, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, and others.

When companies discover or suspect infringement of their intellectual property in the Thailand market, Ploynapa conducts infringement analysis, drafts cease-and-desist letters and negotiates settlements with infringers, and coordinates with government authorities to enforce her clients’ rights. When negotiated solutions are not forthcoming, Ploynapa is a formidable litigator in Thailand’s Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, where she has a strong track record of securing favorable judgments for her clients.

The depth of her knowledge and experience representing clients in the Thai market makes Ploynapa a sought-after speaker in industry seminars and conferences, training initiatives for government authorities, and academic lectures at universities in Thailand. Ploynapa also regularly writes articles for both general readers and specialists, and she coauthored the Thailand chapter of International Copyright Law: A Practical Global Guide, Second Edition. Ploynapa has served as secretary of the Licensing Executives Society of Thailand since September 2021, and she is an active member of the INTA Emerging Issues Committee, for which she serves on the Blockchain Subcommittee group.


Experience
  • Helped to secure several out-of-court settlements for international clients against companies and people that were infringing our client’s IP rights. To achieve these strong outcomes, our team derived proof of infringement by investigating local marketplaces, acquiring infringing products, and providing extensive infringement analyses on the acquired products. The settlements we have reached on behalf of clients include immediate cessations of infringement, monetary damages, publication of apology notices and binding commitments to avoid future infringement.
  • Advised one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in Asia on IP infringement and enforcement guidelines in Thailand. Among other things, our team assisted in creating tailor-made guidelines for the client and conducting staff training sessions in line with the client’s business model, interests, and ongoing projects.
  • Acted for a world-leading multinational imaging and optical products corporation in successful litigation against online infringers. The team employed a trailblazing strategy using Thailand’s Computer Crimes Act to successfully help enforce the client’s IP rights against multiple infringers that were selling counterfeit products online. Notably, this strategy had never been used to fight online infringement in Thailand before, representing a landmark case in the jurisdiction.
  • Conducted product identification seminars for government officers in Thailand and Laos, on behalf of a Japanese multinational electronics corporation, in order to raise awareness about the widespread impact of counterfeit goods, and reinforce the abilities of concerned officials to suppress the spread of infringing products.
  • Assisted a Thai food processing conglomerate to protect its renowned packaging design. Our representation of the client led to a court decision granting a landmark THB 20 million (approx. USD 670,000) compensation award for copyright infringement and trade dress protection.
  • Acted for a multinational electronic company to trace the origin of counterfeit batteries that were being sold through online channels and were ultimately able to identify the source of the supply chain. After identifying the source, we assisting the client in coordinating a successful raid action against the infringer, which resulted in the seizure of over 30,000 counterfeit products. This successful raid action prevented the distribution of fake goods to end users in the Thai market and served as a deterrent to other potential infringers.
  • Helped to successfully protect the IP rights of a world renowned coffee company against infringers that were using online marketplaces, social media platforms, and private websites to sell counterfeit products bearing our client’s valuable trademarks. We conducted a comprehensive online sweep project for the client which helped toidentify suspected infringers, classify them into different groups, and provide strategies to tackle the suspected infringers in each group. This project led to a significant decrease in the sale of counterfeit product bearing our client’s trademark by both online retailers and wholesalers.
  • Assisted a well-known energy drink company in negotiating with a business competitor based in Europe that had a confusingly similar brand logo. Despite several legal actions that were initiated by the opposing party, our negotiations on behalf of the client resulted in an amicable settlement of the worldwide dispute.
  • Helped to prepare a comprehensive report on IP enforcement in Thailand and co-authored an online enforcement action report in ASEAN for a Japanese government-related organization that promotes mutually beneficial trade and investment. These reports are provided as guides for Japanese businesses who are interested in protecting their IP rights in ASEAN.
  • Conducted an infringement analysis for a Japanese multinational corporation manufacturing automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment regarding design patent infringement committed by an unauthorized distributor.
  • Advised and assisted the world’s largest international coffeehouse chain to protect its trademark against unauthorized use on the Internet.
  • Carried out research on counterfeit products in Thailand for a Japanese government organization involved in the promotion of business and investment.