Despite the economic slowdown in some other parts of the world and the political protests in Thailand in May 2010, Thailand experienced increased IP activity compared with 2009.
During the government fiscal year October 2009 to September 2010, the Thai Trademark Office received 36,926 applications and granted registrations to 22,551, while the Patent Office received 6,733 patent applications and 1,369 petty patent applications. The Patent Office granted registrations to 2,131 patents and 565 petty patents. Most patent applications were filed by foreign applicants, while the petty patents were filed mainly by Thai applicants.
Between January 1, 2010 and December 19, 2010, the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court (IPIT Court) accepted 3,285 new criminal cases on trademarks, while only 24 new civil trademark cases were filed. New patent cases decreased in number. Only eight civil cases on patents were filed (compared with the 11 cases pending from 2009) and six new criminal cases were filed, though there were 10 pending cases carried forward from 2009.
“According to the Department of Intellectual Property, 2010 enforcement actions decreased substantially from 2009. As a result, the Thai government expects the US Trade Representative to drop Thailand from the priority watch list of the United States.”
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Thailand Trademark Office, applications, DIP