Thailand caught the cannabis industry by surprise in January this year when it became the first Asian country to legalise medicinal cannabis, while at the same time restricting foreign participation in the industry for at least the first five years and thwarting cannabis-related patent applications.

Most of the operators in the petroleum or oil and gas industries are large international companies that correspond and coordinate with their parent companies or contractors, subcontractors, suppliers or vendors who are based around the globe. In addition, such petroleum or oil and gas operators may employ a significant number of employees, and therefore, they may need to collect, use or disclose personal data relating to their contracting parties, or their employees, in their business operations.

With reference to the concession agreement form, as issued under the Ministerial Regulations of the Ministry of Energy regarding the Form for the Designation of a Concession Agreement B.E. 2555 (2012) (“Ministerial Regulations re: the Concession Agreement Form”), the form includes a provision that is related to dispute resolution by arbitration, as set out in Clause 13 of the Concession Agreement.

Intellectual property litigation attorneys, especially those in the patent field, are always looking for verdicts that can be viewed as landmarks in the interpretation and practical application of Vietnam’s laws and regulations. One such verdict was issued by the People’s Court of Binh Duong Province on July 17, 2019, in a patent infringement case between a European pharmaceutical company and one of Vietnam’s largest manufacturers of generic drugs.

On September 26, 2019, the government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 75/2019/ND-CP on sanctioning of administrative violations in the field of competition (“Decree 75”). Decree 75 will take effect on December 1, 2019, replacing Decree No. 71/2014/ND-CP. The new decree primarily provides guidance on the forms, levels, and procedures of administrative penalties found in the updated Law on Competition, which took effect on July 1, 2019.

As Myanmar continues to open to foreign investment, employers from other ASEAN countries and places farther afield have been setting up local operations. Understanding the requirements of Myanmar labour law is, of course, a crucial part of this.By staying in compliance with the country’s regulations on working conditions, leave and holiday entitlements, and other labour regulations, entrepreneurs can increase their likelihood of business success in Myanmar.Working hours and pay

The Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights (DGIP) recently notified a patent applicant with existing annuity debts that they will not process the application further until the applicant’s debts are settled. This follows the DGIP’s instruction to all patent holders to pay their annuity debts by August 16, 2019 (as reported by Tilleke & Gibbins in February of this year).

On October 1, 2019, Vietnam filed an instrument of accession to join the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (Geneva Act of July 2, 1999). The Hague Agreement will officially take effect in Vietnam on January 1, 2020, three months after the filing date of the instrument.