The increase in online shopping has proven lucrative for legitimate retailers. But traders selling counterfeit and pirated products have also taken advantage by selling a wide range of counterfeit products online. In searching for new solutions to battle intellectual property infringement on the internet, recent meetings between government officials and members of the private sector have resulted in an innovative approach that relies on existing legislation.

After a seven-year wait, it seems that Thailand’s accession to the Madrid System will indeed be possible by 2014. The responsible committees have made great progress on the proposed amendments to the Trademark Act, having completed the draft amendments in relation to the Madrid system in June 2012. The proposed amendments will now be forwarded to the Council of State for review. They will then go forward to the Cabinet, the Parliament, and the Senate for approval.

Development of public infrastructure has been increasing in line with Thailand’s economic growth, and the private sector has played an important role in this regard. However, the existing law governing Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) is somewhat unclear and unsuitable for the current economic climate.

Usually, during the life of a patent, acts of manufacturing or importation are considered an infringement of the patent owner’s rights. The “Bolar provision” exempts from infringement all uses of a patented product that are required for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process for drugs not previously registered. The point in time, during the life of a patent, when a generic drug company can apply for FDA approval is, and has been for some time, rather vague in Thai law.

Any time you acquire property, you face certain legal risks. Whether you acquire the property through a merger and acquisition of a corporation that holds property, or through a direct acquisition (such as land purchase), unforeseen legal problems can arise. Some common problems faced by real property buyers or transferees include eviction issues, restrictions on land use, or restrictions on building construction.

Fostering GrowthSince 2008, even before the outbreak of the global recession, the economy of Vietnam has faced difficulties, including extremely high inflation and interest rates, and the weakening of the Vietnamese dong. Foreign direct investment has witnessed a slowdown in parallel with the country’s gloomy economic conditions.

Getting the Deal Through has published a multi-jurisdictional guide to product liability, covering 33 jurisdictions worldwide. The Thailand chapter, updated for 2012, is in a Q&A format, and has been written by Michael Ramirez, consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department. The chapter provides an update on the Product Liability Act, how its provisions are interpreted in practice, and the extent to which it is fulfilling the aims for which it was enacted. Specifically, the chapter covers the following:

Reproduced with the kind permission of Global Regulatory Press from the Journal of Medical Device Regulation, 2012, 9(3), 83-89 (www.globalregulatorypress.com).Introduction