Understanding the Legal Nitty Gritty of Trademark Registration in Thailand

A lot of people have been inquiring whether trademark registration is mandatory. Well, not actually. Thailand doesn’t officially need you to register your trademarks, but doing that will give your business’ trademark legal protection against infringement. Similarly, registration of the trademark ensures that your trademark is unique and you are not unknowingly infringing any existing mark. Practically, it will be difficult to enforce our proprietary rights if the trademark is not registered. So, if you want to register your business trademark, a trademark law firm in Thailand needs to be contacted.

For registration of the same, the registrar will go through the application in order to ensure that your trademark is distinctive and doesn’t look even close to any existing trademark or Thai royal emblem. To maintain the uniqueness of the trademark, it is crucial to perform a trademark search before submitting the application. This way possible complication can be avoided. Once the registrar finds the mark acceptable, it will be published in the Trademark Journal. However, if the mark isn’t challenged, the registration certified will be easily issued after 90 days of publication.

This entire process will take roughly around 6 months or 1 year calculated from the date of filing. Now, the question is what marks can be considered as a trademark. Well, they could be anything from photographs, words, numerals, unique color combinations, phrases, letters, and words to three-dimensional designs.  Thailand adheres to the obligations of the International Classification for Goods and Services. According to the body, there are 34 different classes of goods, whereas 8 different classifications of services. In case the trademark is intended for more than one, the separate application will be required for each class.

You will be glad to know that Thailand allows trademarks issued abroad, but then such trademarks will be provided limited protection. The country is not the party to international conventions, providing reciprocal enforcement. However, only by registering your trademark locally you can be assured of your rights within the kingdom. We are a leading trademark law firm in Thailand, offering trademark registration service in no time.