Thailand began accepting applications for recordation of well-known trademarks in 2005, but to date, only 75 trademarks have been recorded as well-known marks—a relatively small number compared to the volume of applications filed. In the May 2014 edition of Informed Counsel, we updated readers that, although it was still accepting applications, Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) had, in practice, suspended the process for recording well-known trademarks.

With an aim to improve financial stability for small and medium enterprises by increasing access to funds from financial institutions, the Business Collateral Act B.E. 2558 (BCA) was published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette  on November 5, 2015.

Virtually all of us are dependent on the use of the Internet and Internet-connected devices. People are plugged in, online, and in constant communication through wired and wireless telecommunication networks coupled to the Internet.By virtue of this dependency, we entrust Internet-enabled applications, programs, and connected devices with our most private communications and personal and financial details. Yet we read, almost on a daily basis, of hacks and compromises on a gargantuan scale, of the very systems we entrust with our private business and personal data.

The 2015 edition of Distribution and Marketing of Drugs, a guide to the distribution and marketing of drugs in 28 jurisdictions around the world, has been published. Each chapter provides an overview of the legal framework governing distribution and marketing of pharmaceuticals, including pre-conditions for distribution; licensing; wholesale distribution; marketing to consumers; marketing to professionals; and engagement with patient organizations.

The second edition of Distribution and Marketing of Drugs  provides an overview of the main legal issues involved in pharmaceutical sales in 28 jurisdictions worldwide.

In August 2014, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) announced a new scheme aimed at expanding solar power generation to meet the government’s Alternative Energy Development Plan.To encourage more solar power generation, the scheme allows the establishment of solar farms through public-private partnerships, which are funded and operated by the government or agricultural cooperatives as public partners, with the private sector as project supporters.

The Business Collateral Act B.E. 2558 (2015) (BCA) was passed into law on November 5, 2015. The majority of its provisions will come into effect on July 1, 2016, 240 days after publication in the Royal Thai Government Gazette.The BCA aims to establish a robust legal system that allows borrowers in Thailand to use their assets as collateral to secure their loans. This system provides Thai borrowers with greater access to credit, which should promote investment in domestic ventures.The key points under the BCA are the following:

Myanmar has undergone significant political and economic change since the country’s civilian government took control in 2010 under the leadership of President Thein Sein. Foreign direct investment is at record levels in Myanmar, and investment is expected to soar into the coming year. New economic opportunities, however, pose an inherent risk, which includes the potential for corruption.