UNITED States has decided to keep Thailand on its Priority Watch List (PWL) for intellectual property protection for the 10th consecutive year but there is a chance for an upgrade later this year, Thai News Agency said today (April 29).
Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said yesterday that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced its latest review, which was conducted under its “Special 301 Report” measure, on the adequacy and effectiveness of IP protection by US trade partners in 2016 and this states that Thailand remains on the Priority Watch List.
While Thailand has been on PWL since 2007 which means the country has been on this list for as long as 10 years, the minister pointed out that the report also states that US is ready to revise and upgrade Thailand’s status if the country continues to make positive improvement in resolving intellectual property rights problem worrying US.
She added that even though Thailand remains on PWL the wording in this year’s report differs from the previous years as it recognized the country’s firm commitment to protect intellectual property rights and frequently suppress infringements.
Thailand also has a 20-year road map on intellectual property with this including suppression of infringements. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan heads a subcommittee on violations of intellectual property rights and this help integrate agencies involved in investigating these cases.
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Top: A sign at Chiang Mai International Airport. Photo: Ethan Prater (CC-BY-2.0)
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