tHAILAnD
3D mark accepted for registration: Patent Act (1979), Th ai Patent Act No. 2 (1992) and Th ai Patent Act No. 3
(1999), which cover both inventions and product designs. A shape or three-
dimensional object may be granted under this act if the designs are new and
have not been disclosed anywhere prior to the date of fi ling.
Below are three-dimensional objects that are registered as design patents:
supreme Court judgment Copyright
Th e Supreme Court allowed the marks ‘Coca-Cola Bottle’ and ‘Green Copyrights are protected and governed by the Copyright Act (1994),
Dimple Bottle’ to be registered as two-dimensional marks as they appear in Ministerial Regulations (1997), the Convention Governing Protection of
the application form, rather than as three-dimensional marks. Th e Supreme Copyrights and the Convention Governing Protection of Performers’ Rights.
Court considered the invented pictures comprising the two marks to be
Protection under the Copyright Act lasts longer than protection under
distinctive enough for registration as trademarks. Th e court also supported
the Patent Act. In general, a copyright exists for the life of the author plus
the distinctiveness of the bottle devices through its reasoning that the bottles
an additional period of 50 years aft er their death. If the author is a juristic
were uniquely designed. It found that there were convex and concave parts,
person, the copyright exists for a period of 50 years aft er the work is fi rst
and concave spots around the bottles that made them distinguishable from
published or, if unpublished, aft er its creation.
other bottles. In addition, the applicant sells the drinks contained in the
bottles but does not sell the bottle separately as a container. Th e bottles have
There is no requirement for copyright to be registered with any
therefore functioned as a trademark to distinguish the applicant’s product
authority. However, one can file an application with the Department
from other persons’ products.
of Intellectual Property for copyright recordation. A current, notarised
power of attorney and one original or copy of the copyrighted work
Th is judgment raised an important question: if the applicant sought to
must accompany the application form, which must be completed in the
register the Coca-Cola Bottle and Green Dimple Bottle in the form of three-
Thai language.
dimensional pictures, would the three-dimensional objects be allowed to
be registered? Th e answer to this question is uncertain because the three-
A record of copyright does not conclusively prove ownership or priority,
dimensional objects are the shape or three-dimensional object of the
but it may be used as one piece of evidence in court among other evidence
invented picture as described in the DIP’s guideline.
(e.g. affidavit stating history of creation, registration [if any], transfer or
assignment of right, etc.). It is important to note that a copyright notice
other alternatives
should also be shown or attached to the copyrighted work.
Design patent
Th ree-dimensional objects might be deemed ‘works of applied art’, which
A design patent is another form of protection for a shape or three- are defi ned in Section 4 of the Copyright Act as “compositions of any one
dimensional object in Th ailand. Design patents are protected under the Th ai or more of the works under (1) to (6) used for other purposes apart from
www.worldipreview.com World Intellectual Property Review Digest 2009 151
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