BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand intensified its fight against brand piracy after detecting foreign attempts to register Thai trademarks abroad without authorisation, focusing on protecting SMEs and enabling swift objections in key markets such as China and Asean.
Government prioritises protection of Thai businesses
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun placed particular emphasis on safeguarding Thai small and medium-sized enterprises. This was stated by Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Department of Intellectual Property in the Commerce Ministry.
“10 Plus” framework and “SMEs Plus” as guidelines
Suphajee instructed the agency to advance intellectual property measures in line with the political framework known as “10 Plus”. This included the “SMEs Plus” initiative, which was intended to strengthen competitiveness and expand opportunities for Thai companies through improved IP protection at home and abroad.
Trademark Monitor targets overseas registrations
In response, the department intensified its Trademark Monitor project to prevent unauthorised registrations of Thai trademarks in foreign jurisdictions. Particular attention was given to key markets such as China and countries in the Asean region.
How monitoring works during the publication phase
The project monitored trademarks during the publication phase, when details were publicly accessible before a registration became official. During this period, trademark owners could file objections within 60 to 90 days, depending on the legal framework of each country.
Alert system for affected trademark owners
When identical or similar trademarks were detected, the department promptly notified the legitimate owners. This aimed to give businesses the opportunity to take action against the applications within the statutory deadlines.
Second year of project: More than 100 firms onboard
The Trademark Monitor programme was already in its second year and, according to the department, had attracted more than 100 Thai companies. Participating firms received free monitoring and notifications for a period of one year.
Case study in Vietnam: Brand similar to “Tao Bin”
In the first quarter of this year, the department identified in Vietnam a foreign trademark application that resembled “Tao Bin”, a brand of Forth Corporation Public Co Ltd. The application covered categories related to vending machines and non-alcoholic beverages, after which the department informed the trademark owner and provided legal guidance for the opposition process.
Debate over responsibility and regional cooperation
The developments raised questions about how well Thai SMEs were protected against trademark abuse abroad and whether free monitoring offers such as Trademark Monitor were sufficient. The discussion also touched on whether Thailand should deepen cooperation with Asean states and China to stop such cases more quickly, or whether the primary responsibility lay with the companies themselves.
“How well are Thai SMEs, in your view, protected against trademark abuse abroad, and are free monitoring offers like this sufficient?”
said the article, inviting readers to consider the effectiveness of current measures.
“Should Thailand work even more closely with Asean states and China to stop such cases more quickly – or does the main responsibility lie with the companies themselves?”
said the article, calling for further debate on the balance between state action and corporate duty.