Filing Patent and Petty Patent application:

   In Thailand, an enterprise can file a patent or petty patent (or utility model in some jurisdictions) application to protect an invention via National (Paris convention) or International (Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)) routes.  The basic documents required for filing petty patent application are the same as those for patent application except that the petty patent application can have not more than 10 claims.

• National (Paris convention) route:

The applicant can claim right of priority if the patent application for the invention is filed in Thailand within 12 months from the earliest date on which the foreign application was filed. The declaration of priority can be made on filing or before publication date of the application but not more than 16 months from the earliest priority date claimed.  The specification in the original language can be submitted on filing but the Thai translation can be submitted later within 90 days from the filing date.

• International (PCT) route:

Time limits applicable for entry into the Thai national phase are 30 months from the priority date. The application must include the specification, claim (s), abstract and drawing (if any) pending at PCT stage. The applicant can filed voluntary amendment later after the application has already been filed. The Deed of assignment is not required unless there is any change of the applicant from that of the International application.

Filing design application

   Design patent allows an applicant to protect any form or composition of lines or colors which gives a special appearance to a product and can serve as a pattern for a product of industry or handicraft.  Thailand is not a member state to the Hague Agreement. Only a single design in a separate design application is allowable or in other word one application should consist of only one design. The applicant can claim right of priority if the design application is filed in Thailand within 6 months from the earliest date on which the foreign application was filed. The declaration of priority can be made on filing or before publication date of the application.

  Without IP management especially patent, launching the product to the market or finding share-holders for investing on large scale production would be big challenges for many enterprises.  As the patent is an exclusive right which plays an important role on marketing the product, the patent owner can use it to enhance negotiating power and makes the enterprise’s image to be more attractive to potential investors. In addition, the enterprises may shift from direct to indirect exploitation of their patent i.e. from manufacturing the patented invention to licensing their patent to third parties.

   In response to the increasing concerns of the importance of patent protection in Thailand and Asian countries, STLO Asia  Ltd. has built the patent prosecution group with professionals and patent attorneys in fields of engineering, chemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life science and industrial design to provide full services for patent matters e.g. patent practice and counseling services from filing the application to the grant of the patent, opposition, patent litigation, patent licensing, arbitration and dispute resolution. Our patent group with the in-depth experience is qualified to assist clients in protecting their patent rights especially in Thailand and also in Asian countries e.g. Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, etc.