Sellers beware! Thailand's e-commerce market will strengthen intellectual property protection

As the number of online stores operating on e-commerce platforms continues to increase, the demand for adopting new technologies in online IP infringement cases is also increasing .

Both the Thai private sector and the government have developed tools to enhance online IP enforcement, including those using the latest legal technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

However, many legal technologies and AI operations are still in their infancy and have not yet provided the best practices for enforcing online IP rights protection .

For example, today’s AI and other technologies still cannot consistently distinguish original products from counterfeits from images and information displayed on e-commerce platforms and the internet.

Therefore, some of the most effective measures for online IP enforcement remain manual online searches conducted by experienced local investigators who have a deep understanding of the behavior of local users (sellers and buyers) and are able to query relevant information across platforms.

Regarding the issue of intellectual property protection, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of Thailand has launched a new Memorandum of Understanding on the Protection of Intellectual Property on the Internet.

The MoU will not create additional rights for IP owners, but rather serve as a mechanism to bring together all stakeholders to address online IP infringements in a unified, mutually agreeable manner.

Although the MoU is not legally binding on the signatories, it demonstrates the intention of government authorities and e-commerce platforms to cooperate in preventing and stopping online intellectual property infringements , which is expected to significantly improve the situation of online infringements on e-commerce platforms.

It is reported that IP owners who join the MoU will receive visible recognition and will receive strong support from government agencies and participating e-commerce platforms to address IP infringement issues in Thailand.

Joining the MoU will be beneficial to IP owners and e-commerce platforms as doing so will help them benefit from this collaborative mechanism and enhance the potential of online IP enforcement in Thailand.

In addition to this, Thailand is also taking clear steps to support the adaptation and digital application of its IP legislation based on the latest developments in online IP-related laws and regulations.

Sellers who trade on Thai e-commerce platforms need to check whether there is any patent infringement among the products in their stores.

Infringement

Cross-border e-commerce market

Southeast Asia