Online IP infringement jumps 286% as five-month filings hit 31,917 amid OECD push

Thailand is seeing two sharply contrasting trends in intellectual property: applications for protection are rising across every major category, while infringement is shifting rapidly online and becoming harder to control.

A Department of Intellectual Property report showed that 31,917 trademark, invention-patent, petty-patent and product-design applications were filed from January to May 2026, an increase of 8.72% from 29,357 in the same period of 2025.

The department approved 24,576 registrations during the five-month period, up 11.16% from 22,109 a year earlier. A further 7,214 copyright records were submitted, an increase of 18.13% from 6,107. Copyright protection arises automatically when a work is created, but creators may file information with the department to establish preliminary evidence of ownership.

The figures point to growing awareness among businesses, researchers, universities and creators that intellectual property can be used not only to protect rights but also to build brands, commercialise research and open new market opportunities.

However, enforcement data cited by Thansettakij showed that the digital economy is also creating new risks. Authorities handled 170 intellectual-property infringement cases during the first five months of the year and seized more than 1.3 million items, with estimated losses exceeding 700 million baht.

Although the total number of cases declined from the previous year, cases involving online channels rose by 286%, suggesting that illegal trade is moving away from visible physical markets towards social media and digital platforms.

Trademark applications exceed 23,000

Trademark filings accounted for the largest share of applications, reaching 23,397, up 7.64% from 21,736 during the same period of 2025.

Health, medical and medicinal-herb products led the categories seeking trademark protection, with 2,893 applications. They were followed by:

• Retail, sales and marketing services: 2,647 applications
• Cleaning and beauty products: 2,509
• Electronic tools and equipment: 1,855
• Plant, cereal, seasoning and flavouring products: 1,607

Thai applicants accounted for 55% of trademark filings, compared with 45% from overseas.

The five most active applicants were Fox Formulate Co Ltd with 163 applications; Dymetech (Thailand) Co Ltd with 146; Born Agroscience Co Ltd with 140; Esteem Intertrade Co Ltd with 80; and Thai medical-equipment company Cosmy Co Ltd with 59.

The first four were described as Thai integrated agricultural-chemical businesses.

The department registered 18,040 trademarks during the five-month period, up 4.22% from 17,309 a year earlier.

Foreign applicants dominate invention patents

Applications for invention patents rose 7.99% to 3,662 from 3,391.

Medicines and health products were the leading innovation category, with 442 applications covering areas such as synthetic medicines, herbal products, dietary supplements and medical supplies.

Communication systems and signal-transmission technologies followed with 295 applications, while antibody and biologic innovations recorded 148. Macromolecular industries such as plastics and resins accounted for 87, and food and beverages for 80.

Foreign applicants submitted 86% of invention-patent applications, while Thai applicants accounted for only 14%.

Qualcomm Incorporated of the United States and Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha of Japan jointly led the rankings with 126 applications each. Nippon Steel Corporation followed with 71, JFE Steel Corporation with 56 and Switzerland’s Syngenta Crop Protection AG with 54.

The department granted 2,406 invention patents, an increase of 18.99% from 2,022 in the comparable period of 2025.

Thai universities lead petty-patent applications

Petty-patent applications recorded the strongest growth among the registration categories, climbing 16.69% to 2,244 from 1,923.

Food and beverage innovations led with 240 applications, followed by herbal medicines with 122, communications and information-management systems with 113, medical devices with 79, and antibody- and enzyme-related biotechnology with 52.

Thai applicants accounted for 94% of all petty-patent submissions.

The leading applicants were all Thai universities:

• Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi: 83 applications
• Burapha University: 54
• Chiang Mai University: 54
• Srinakharinwirot University: 53
• Khon Kaen University: 42
• Kasetsart University: 42

The department granted 1,152 petty patents, a rise of 49.03% from 773 a year earlier.

Fabric patterns lead product-design filings

Product-design patent applications increased 13.31% to 2,614 from 2,307.

Fabric patterns were the most frequently protected designs, with 284 applications, followed by packaging with 248, cars and related equipment with 209, jewellery with 195 and construction equipment with 149.

Thai applicants accounted for 62% of design filings, while foreign applicants represented 38%.

Thammasat University topped the applicant list with 59 submissions, followed by Burapha University with 57 and Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi with 53.

German lighting-equipment company BEGA Gantenbrink-Leuchten KG submitted 49 applications, while Apple Inc filed 25.

The number of registered product-design patents rose sharply to 2,978, up 48.53% from 2,005.

Copyright records rise 18%

The department received information on 7,214 copyrighted works, up 18.13%.

Literary works, including written material and computer programs, formed the largest category with 2,971 records. Artistic works followed with 2,093, musical works with 1,624, audiovisual material with 313 and sound recordings with 76.

Thai creators or rights holders accounted for 99% of the submissions.

Mahidol University filed the most copyright records, with 142 works, followed by Thaksin University with 129, Khon Kaen University with 94, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan with 66 and Thai company Yowani Co Ltd with 61.

The department stressed that these figures did not represent all copyrighted work produced in Thailand because protection applies automatically without registration.

Filing information nevertheless gives creators preliminary evidence of ownership in the event of a dispute and makes it easier for prospective users to identify and contact rights holders.

Publishers warn of open online piracy

Nattakorn Vuttichaipornkul, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand, or PUBAT, said to Thansettakij that copyright infringement at physical book fairs had declined markedly following stricter industry controls. Online infringement, however, remained widespread and was often conducted openly.

He said numerous Facebook pages and other social-media accounts were selling unauthorised digital copies of copyrighted books. Many of those involved were outside the association, making them more difficult to regulate through industry rules.

PUBAT has adopted tougher internal measures against members found to have infringed copyright. Publishers in breach may be expelled and barred from renting sales space at book fairs organised by the association.

Nattakorn said these measures had largely eliminated visibly pirated books from association-run events, but infringement had expanded into more complex forms online.

These included unauthorised digital reproduction and sales, the adaptation of online novels into television dramas or series without permission, and the translation and distribution of foreign comics without acquiring the necessary rights.

Under Thailand’s Copyright Act of 1994, infringement can carry a maximum prison sentence of four years, a fine of up to 800,000 baht, or both.

Nattakorn argued that effective enforcement must create clear legal consequences so that offenders are discouraged from repeating violations and others are deterred from copying them.

Piracy undermines international confidence

The publishing association warned that widespread infringement damages more than individual authors and publishers.

When reports of piracy in Thailand reach overseas rights holders, foreign companies may assess the risk at a national rather than company level.

Thai publishers that operate lawfully can therefore face greater difficulty acquiring the rights to high-quality foreign books, or may be charged higher licensing fees to compensate for the perceived risk.

Nattakorn said credibility was essential in international publishing. Rights holders might refuse to license their work in Thailand or demand substantially higher prices if they were not confident that their rights would be protected.

Association seeks legal reforms before OECD membership

PUBAT plans to meet the director-general of the Department of Intellectual Property to discuss legal loopholes that infringers allegedly exploit to justify unauthorised use.

The association wants clearer guidance on which activities constitute infringement so that the public cannot claim confusion over the law.

It also plans to work with the department on public-information videos explaining copyright rules and lawful use of protected content.

Nattakorn called on agencies representing foreign authors and rights holders in Thailand to pursue more legal cases. Some agencies had previously concluded that lawsuits were not worth the time and cost, he said, but stronger enforcement was necessary to reduce infringement.

PUBAT said it was prepared to provide information and fully support rights holders pursuing cases.

The association linked stronger enforcement to Thailand’s effort to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

OECD members are expected to maintain high standards of intellectual-property protection, and the ability to address infringement in practice will be important to building international commercial trust.

Allowing unauthorised goods or digital content to be sold openly without effective action could damage Thailand’s wider economy and weaken confidence among foreign investors and rights holders, Nattakorn said.

Creative industries generate 1.44 trillion baht

Department of Intellectual Property director-general Auramon Supthaweethum said Thailand’s creative industries generated more than 1.44 trillion baht, equivalent to 8.01% of gross domestic product.

Creative industries worldwide were forecast to grow by an average of 10% a year.

Thailand had protected more than 1.26 million intellectual-property items, comprising 51% trademarks, 35% copyright records, 8% invention patents and 4% product designs.

Auramon said intellectual property had become an important commercial asset capable of strengthening brands, adding value and expanding opportunities in global markets.

The Commerce Ministry is seeking to help Thai businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, use intellectual property more effectively and convert creative work, research and innovation into commercial value.

She said the increase in applications demonstrated growing awareness among entrepreneurs, researchers and creators, while the department would continue improving registration and rights-protection services to strengthen investor confidence and support Thailand’s innovation-based economy.

Source: commercenewsagency.com, Thansettakij