Minister hopeful that US will upgrade Thailand’s IPR status
THAILAND’S status is expected to be upgraded in Washington’s intellectual-property-rights protection rankings next year, even though US president-elect Donald Trump has indicated he will pursue a stringent IPR policy when in office.
Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said last week that Thailand expected to be upgraded from the US Priority Watch List (PWL) to the Watch List (WL) next year, due to its efforts to protect intellectual property rights.
The government has also made strong efforts to raise IPR awareness and enforce many related laws, she said.
“Despite [the likelihood] Trump will tighten IPR law, Thailand is not [unduly] concerned as we have already developed our IPR protection standard, as well as increased awareness and our own innovation,” Apiradi said.
Moreover, the government also has a policy to promote the country under a digital economy and support innovation and the use of IPR for commercialisation, the minister said, adding that the Kingdom’s IPR standard has made major headway compared to the past several years.
Thailand was downgraded to the PWL in 2007 and has remained at that level as it struggled to manage IPR problems, meaning that exports to the US could be made subject to high duties or other trade barriers.
Apiradi said that two new laws – on copyright protection and the illegal use of camcorders – had been enforced since the middle of this year.
The government has also drawn up a plan to suppress IPR violation and has had national strategies on intellectual property rights since 2012, setting out a clear road map for work that needs to be done, and which will be continued in the years to come, Apiradi explained.
Tossapon Tungsubutra, acting director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, said the US Trade Representative had followed up on Thailand’s moves to crack down on IPR violation and solve the problem of infringement, especially on the Internet.
To raise awareness among traders, the department has provided a manual for merchants to warn them that the copying of goods is illegal and that violators will be subject to punishment under the law.
Moreover, to boost awareness among foreign visitors, the department had also asked for cooperation from Airports of Thailand to install a billboard at Suvarnabhumi Airport warning travellers not to buy copied goods, the official said.
In addition, to promote creativity in Thailand, the department has set up an Innovation Driven Enterprise, or IDE, centre to support innovation from upstream to downstream.
