MoU on protection of industrial intellectual property

Acting government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday that the MoU would be signed at the fifth Asean-Japan Heads of IP Offices Meeting, which takes place in Japan next Monday and Tuesday.

The agreement will cover many areas of cooperation between the two countries including exchanges of expertise, two-way access to information regarding industrial assets, the upgrading of information and communications technology systems, and the standardisation of inspection and registration processes.

“The singing of this MoU should help with the standardisation of the country’s regulations to protect industrial intellectual property,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has also approved a law to govern the disposal of electronic waste.

“The demand for electronic products has increased rapidly in the past years but there is no law or regulation to govern or control the disposal of such waste. This law is crucial for the protection of the environment, as electronic wastes have chemicals that need to be disposed of in the right way,” Sansern said. Another law that was approved yesterday was the consolidation of seven excise-tax regulations into one article to make it easier for people who pay such levies and officials who collect them to gain access to all relevant information.

“The new regulations will close the loopholes that allow excise tax to be based on any selling, buying or factory prices. From now on the excise tax will be based on the recommended retail price only, and this should increase the efficiency and the transparency of the collection process,” Sansern said.