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JURISDICTION REPORT: THAILAND

COULD THAILAND ACCEDE TO THE MADRID PROTOCOL?

Kowit Somwaiya and Prasantaya Bantadtan

LawPlus Ltd

Tailand is preparing for accession to the Madrid Protocol (MP) and implementation of the International Trade Mark (ITM) registration procedures. Te government has appointed a working group comprising experts on trademark law from both the public and the private sectors to study the steps and procedures for Tailand’s accession to the MP.

In 2005, Tailand set up a study team to study the pros and cons of accession and how to adopt the ITM registration under the MP. Te team recommended amending the Trademark Act (TMA) to accommodate implementation of the MP.

Accession to the MP may require prior review and approval from parliament under Section 190 of the Constitution of Tailand. Prior to parliament’s review and approval, the accession will need approval from the Cabinet. Once approved by parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be in charge of the accession steps and procedures with the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Assuming that Tailand accedes to the MP, the working group is reviewing the possibilities of implementing ITM registration procedures by issuing a new trademark law, amending the TMA or issuing secondary legislation in the form of ministerial regulations from the Ministry of Commerce.

Te amendments to the TMA as proposed by the previous study team contain requirements for registration of ITMs with Tailand as the basic registration office. Tey also include provisions allowing multiclass applications, requiring the Trademark Registrar to approve or reject an application within 18 months of receiving it, allowing associated trademarks to be transferred or assigned separately, and allowing a request for renewal of a trademark registration to be filed no later than 180 days aſter the expiry date (the current TMA does not allow renewal filings aſter the expiry date).

It is very likely that the Tailand TMO will need to set up a new IT and telecommunications system to support ITM registration with WIPO’s International Bureau (IB). Tat will cost money. Te TMO may also establish a new division to handle the ITM registration process separately from the current trademark process of the TMO. As accession to the MP will have significant implications for the practices of the TMO and for trademark agents and owners, the working group will identify and assess these implications before it concludes its study and submits a report to the government through the Ministry of Commerce.

Given the current turbulent political situation, accession to the MP by Tailand may be delayed for some years; nonetheless, the working group may well conclude that Tailand has a lot more to gain than to lose if it accedes in the near future.

68 World Intellectual Property Review May/June 2010

Kowit Somwaiya is the managing partner at LawPlus Ltd. He can be contacted at: kowit.somwaiya@lawplusltd.com

Prasantaya Bantadtan is a partner at LawPlus Ltd. She can be contacted at: prasantaya.bantadtan@lawplusltd.com

www.worldipreview.com

“ GIVEN THE CURRENT TURBULENT POLITICAL SITUATION, ACCESSION TO THE MADRID PROTOCOL BY THAILAND MAY BE DELAYED FOR SOME YEARS; NONETHELESS, THE WORKING GROUP MAY WELL CONCLUDE THAT THAILAND HAS A LOT MORE TO GAIN THAN TO LOSE IF IT ACCEDES IN THE NEAR FUTURE” Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80
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