Bangkok talks tough on trademark
Tokyo is expected to decide by the end of the month whether to approve a Japanese firm's request to register the trademark "Rusie Dutton", following a request for cooperation from Thailand's Intellectual Property Department.
Caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana said yesterday that Maskai Furuya Co was seeking to register the name "Rusie Dutton", or "hermit body twists", referring to an ancient Thai exercise based on posture. "The government is trying to be tough in negotiating with the Japanese Foreign Ministry in a bid to prevent the name of an ancient Thai exercise being registered as a company trademark by a Japanese businessman," Preecha said. Maskai Furuya has applied to the Japan Patents Office to register the Thai phrase and his English translation, "Rusie Dutton", as the trademark of his Thai massage and yoga business. The outcome of the case is expected to be some form of compromise, the minister said. Emphasising the need to protect Thai goods, Preecha said the government was unable to guarantee no more cases like this in overseas countries. Due to the fact that each country has its own patent law, Thailand is hardly likely to know if other countries allow the local registration of Thai names. However, if Thailand becomes a member of the International Patent Laws Committee, it will be easier for the country to protect its intellectual property, he said. Thailand is currently developing an IP system in order to become a signatory to the Patent Corporation Treaty, a move which will ensure worldwide protection. But the Intellectual Property Department is unable to say when this might happen. Meanwhile, the sale of illegal CDs, VCDs and DVDs in "red zones" (high infringement rate) has fallen by 85.7 per cent this year. Preecha said the drop resulted from strong suppression of illegal goods and a fall in purchasing power because of the slowdown. Speaking during a campaign against IP piracy at Pantip Plaza yesterday, Preecha said the government would continue its policy of stringent control. Since the authorities began their present campaign, makers of illegal CDs, VCDs and DVDs have decreased both their production capacity and stocks of illegal goods by 30-40 per cent, he said. Retailers in illegal markets have decreased their stockpiles of illicit goods from 10,000-20,000 items to just 1,000 to 5,000. Many illegal shops in the red zones have closed. Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation
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