Overview Thai businesses expanding overseas face a recurring and commercially damaging risk: third parties including former distributors and competitors filing trademark applications in foreign jurisdictions that are identical or confusingly similar to established Thai marks. By the time a brand owner discovers the problem, the opposition window has often already closed. In response, Thailand’s Department […]
Advent of Trademark Law in the Maldives
A new Trademark Bill establishing the Maldives Trademark Law (Law No 19/2025) and the Maldives Intellectual Property Office (MIPO) was ratified in November 2025 by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, creating a statutory basis for trade mark protection in the country, inter alia, with a view to further economic development of the nation. MIPO was established […]
Thailand Introduces “Trademark Fast Track 4 Months Plus+” Program for E-Commerce Entrepreneurs
The Thai Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has introduced a new trademark examination program called “Trademark Fast Track 4 Months Plus+”, effective from 1 January 2026. This program is designed to support e-commerce entrepreneurs who require faster trademark examination and registration process in order to use their marks promptly for online business operations. Under the […]
Vietnam's IP Law Amendment: Transforming the Patent Landscape for an Innovation-Driven Economy
Introduction Vietnam has entered a new phase of intellectual property reform with the National Assembly’s approval of extensive amendments to the Law on Intellectual Property on 10 December 2025. Scheduled to take effect on 1 April 2026, these revisions represent a deliberate effort to equip the country’s IP system for an increasingly technology‑intensive economy. The […]
Delhi High Court Validates Employment Agreement as Proof of Right for Deceased Inventors in Patents
The Delhi High Court recently ruled that an employment agreement signed by a deceased inventor serves as a valid ‘Proof of Right’ document, overturning the Patent Office’s rejection. This decision in Nippon Steel Corporation v. Controller of Patents clarifies procedural requirements for corporate patent applicants. It emphasizes substance over hyper-technical form, in establishing ownership during […]
INDIA’S IP ECOSYSTEM AT A TURNING POINT
The intellectual property (IP) environment in India is currently at a transformation stage. The system, previously known for being complex and manual, has, over the last ten years, significantly turned digital and innovation-oriented. Recent filing statistics and the Annual Report for 2024-25, published by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, Trademarks, and […]
Revision of Trademark Goods and Services Classifications in Thailand under the Nice Classification 13th Edition
The Nice Classification of Goods and Services (NCL), established in 1957, is the international system for classifying goods and services for trademark registration, ensuring consistency across jurisdictions, particularly for Madrid Protocol filings. Although Thailand is not a party to the Nice Agreement, the Thai Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has applied the NCL as a reference framework since […]
Therapeutic Efficacy: A Prerequisite for Novel Intermediates- Delhi High Court ruling in Zeria Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. v. the Controller of Patents
The Delhi High Court dismissed Zeria Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s (the ‘Appellant’) appeal against the Controller of Patents' (the ‘Respondent’) refusal order of a divisional patent application (3630/DLNP/2011). The ruling focused on a novel intermediate compound rejected for lack of inventive step and for failing to demonstrate enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Case Background Zeria filed a divisional […]
Breaking the Algorithmic Silence: Ab Initio's Path to CRI Patent Triumph
The Madras High Court, in a landmark ruling, in Ab Initio Technology LLC (‘Ab Initio’) v. The Controller of Patents & Designs, overturned the Patent Office's rejection of a computer-related invention (‘CRI’) application titled “Graphic Representations of Data Relationship.” This decision mandates the grant of the patent (application no. 4693/CHENP/2010), citing clear novelty and inventive step […]
Nepal – An Update on Pending Trademark Applications
Background Sometime on or about 19 August 2025, Nepalese Trademarks Registry issued a notice requiring actions as follows: For trade marks registered before 19 August 2025 and within 7-Year renewal period, all trade mark proprietors must submit evidence of use within 60 days from the date of publication. For Pending Applications Applications which remain pending […]