Bangkok: The Cabinet has approved the draft intellectual property plan between the Department of Intellectual Property and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Sasikarn Wattanachan, Deputy Government Spokesperson, announced that the Cabinet has given the green light to the draft of the Thailand Intellectual Property Work Plan (IP Work Plan). This plan, a collaboration between the Department of Intellectual Property and the United States Trade Representative (USTR), was proposed by the Ministry of Commerce.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative classifies the intellectual property protection status of trading partners into three categories: Priority Foreign Country (PFC), Priority Watch List (PWL), and Watch List (WL). Historically, Thailand has been placed on the Priority Watch List. To address this, the Department of Intellectual Property, alongside the USTR, has crafted a draft plan aimed at removing Thailand from these lists by 2024.
The draft plan outlines several key initiatives. These include publicizing draft copyright laws and regulations at appropriate times, enhancing systems to address online copyright infringement, ratifying treaties under the World Intellectual Property Organization, and amending laws to prevent circumvention of technological measures. Additionally, the plan aims to address issues related to collection agencies and unauthorized software use.
For enforcement, the plan proposes regular reporting on intellectual property infringement deterrence, effective civil rights enforcement, nationwide prosecution of intellectual property cases, and tackling the production and distribution of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
The plan also targets improvements in trademarks by addressing the backlog of trademark registrations and increasing the number of trademark examiners. For patents and pharmaceuticals, it suggests amending patent laws, involving stakeholders in discussions, ensuring consistency with international obligations, and addressing the backlog and quality of patent issuance. The government is also committed to ratifying or joining the Geneva Instrument of the Hague Agreement for the International Registration of Designs.