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Understanding Copyright Protection in Thailand: Your Guide to Safeguarding Your Intellectual Property
01/03/2023
Copyrighting your work is crucial as it establishes you as the rightful owner and prevents unauthorized use of your creation for commercial purposes. Please adequately protect your intellectual property to ensure your company’s success.
This blog post will explore the ins and outs of copyright protection in Thailand.
Key points
- Copyright protection applies to both published and unpublished work.
- The following works can be protected by copyright; literary, drama, computing, art, music, audiovisual, cinematography, sound, and broadcasting.
- Copyright, ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of use or operation, abstract concepts, principles, discoveries, or scientific or mathematical theories cannot be protected by copyrig.
- Copyright Protection will usually apply to a piece of work for the author’s lifetime and a furhtther 50 years after the author’s death.
- Acts of reproduction, adaptation, or communication with the public are considered infringements of copyright.
What is copyright?
Copyright refers to a creator’s legal rights to their original work, as defined by the Copyright Act (1994). Copyright grants them the exclusive authority to perform certain actions and use their intellectual property.
It’s important to note that copyright protection doesn’t cover things such as:
-
- ideas,
- procedures,
- processes,
- systems,
- methods of use or operation, or
- abstract concepts, principles, discoveries, scientific or mathematical theories.
What types of work can be protected by copyright?
Section 4 of the Copyright Act states that the following types of work can be copyrighted:
- Literary work
- Dramatic work
- Computer program
- Artistic work
- Work of painting or drawing
- Work of sculpture
- Work of lithography
- Work of architecture
- Photographic work
- Work of illustration
- Work of applied art
- Musical work
- Audiovisual work
- Cinematographic work
- Sound recording
- Broadcasting work
What types of work cannot be protected by copyright?
Section 7 of the Copyright Act states that the following types of work cannot be protected by copyright:
- News and events of the day. Furthermore, facts that are informational and are not works of literary, scientific, or artistic fields
- The constitution and legislation
- Regulations, bylaws, notifications, orders, explanations, and official correspondence of the Ministries, Departments, or any other government or local units
- Judicial decisions, orders, decisions, and official reports
- Translations and collections of the materials referred to the items above, made by the Ministries, Departments, or any other government or local units
What is unpublished work vs. published work for copyright protection?
Unpublished works are creations not made publicly available through distribution or publication. Examples of unpublished works include personal diaries, private letters, and manuscripts not released to the public.
On the other hand, published works have been made available to the public through distribution or publication, such as books, music, films, and websites.
It is important to note that copyright protection applies to published and unpublished works. However, the registration rules and the protection duration may differ depending on the country and type of work.
Unpublished work
The author of unpublished work in Thailand must be either a Thai national or reside in Thailand. Please note if the author is a national of or resides in a member country of the Convention on the Protection of Copyright, their unpublished work will also be protected.
The author is also expected to reside in Thailand (or any other eligible country) and is primarily designated to create the work.
Published work
Published work would be eligible for copyright protection if the author’s first publication was made in Thailand or any other participating country (of the Convention on the Protection of Copyright).
Suppose the publication was created in a country not a signatory to the Convention on the Protection of Copyright. In that case, the work must be published in Thailand or another convention-member country. The work must be published at most 30 days from the first publication.
What rights does the copyright owner have?
Section 15 of the Copyright Act states that the owner of the copyright shall have the exclusive rights of:
- Reproduction or adaptation
- Communication with the public
- Rental of the original or copies of a computer program, an audiovisual work, a cinematographic work, and sound recordings
- Assigning benefits accruing from copyright to other persons
- Licensing the rights mentioned in items (1), (2), or (3), with or without conditions, provided that such conditions shall not unfairly restrict competition
How do you register for copyright protection?
Applications for copyright registration in Thailand are made at the Department of Intellectual Property.
Applicants are required to submit the Lor Khor 01 form along with the following information:
- Name of the copyright owner
- Name of the attorney-in-fact
- Contact address in Thailand
- Name of work creator or alias
- Name of joint creator or alias
- Title of the work
- Type of the work
- Copyright Ownership
- Type of creativity
- Place of Creation
- Year of creation
- Announcement
- Copyright notification/registration abroad
- Approval for the use or transfer of copyright
- Publication of the copyright information
- The signature of the copyright owner or their attorney
The following supporting documents are also required:
- A true certified copy of the identification card (in the case of a natural person)
- Certificate of the juristic person of the copyright owner issued not more than six months (in the case of a juristic person)
- One set of the copyrighted work or photograph of the work
- Power of attorney affixed with a duty stamp of THB 30 and a certified true copy of the identification card of the attorney.
What is an infringement of copyright?
Should anyone undertake any of the following acts against a copyrighted work without permission, this would be considered an infringement of copyright:
- Reproduction or adaptation
- Communication with the public
For audiovisual work, cinematographic work or sound recordings and computer programs, the following acts would be considered an infringement of copyright:
- Reproduction or adaptation
- Communication to the public
- Rental of the original or copies of a work
The following acts would be Infringement of sound and video broadcasting:
- Making an audiovisual work, a cinematographic work, a sound recording or a sound and video broadcasting work, whether in whole or in part
- Rebroadcasting, whether in whole or in part
- Making a sound and video broadcasting work to be heard or seen in public in return for the payment of money or other commercial benefits
Are there any exemptions for copyright infringement?
Section 32 of the Copyright Act states that the following acts against a copyrighted work will not be deemed as copyright infringement:
- Research or study of the work which is not for the benefit or personal gain
- Use for personal benefit or the benefit of the user and his family members or close relatives
- Comment, criticism, or introduction of the work with an acknowledgment of the ownership of the copyright in such work
- Reporting of news through mass media with an acknowledgment of the ownership of the copyright in such work
- Reproduction, adaptation, exhibition, or display for the benefit of judicial proceedings or administrative proceedings by authorized officials or for the reporting of the result of such proceedings
- Reproduction, adaptation, exhibition, or display by a teacher to benefit his/her teaching, provided that the act is not for profit.
- Reproduction, adaptation in part of a work or abridgment, or making a summary by a teacher or an educational institution to distribute or sell to students in a class or an educational institution provided that the act is not for profit.
- Use of the work as part of questions and answers in an examination
Furthermore, a properly executed citation, quotation, copy, emulation or reference in part and from a copyrighted work with an acknowledgment of the owner will not be considered an infringement of copyright.
How long does Copyright protection last?
Copyright Protection will apply to a piece of work for the author’s lifetime and a further 50 years after the author’s death.
Copyright protection for the following works will be valid for 50 years from the first publication only:
- photographic work,
- audiovisual work,
- cinematographic work,
- sound recording or audio and
- video broadcasting work
Copyright Protection for artworks will be valid for 25 years, and if the work is published, the copyright will be valid for 50 years from the first publication.
How can Belaws help?
You can talk directly to one of our experts for more information about copyright protection in Thailand.
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Our consultations last for a period of up to 1 hour and are conducted by expert Lawyers who are fluent in English, French and Thai.
Consultations can be hosted via WhatsApp or Video Conferencing software for your convenience. A consultation with one of our legal experts is undoubtedly the best way to get all the information you need and answer any questions you may have about your new business or project.
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Frequently asked questions
can i register a limited company at my home address
Changing the registered location of a company in Thailand may seem like a simple process, but there are actually two distinct procedures that one must be mindful of.
The first procedure applies when the company relocates to a different location within the same province.
The second procedure is followed when the company moves to a different province in Thailand.
If the company is relocating within the same province, the change must be registered with the Revenue Department. In addition, the Department of Business Development (DBD) and Social Security Fund (SSF) must also be notified of the change.
It is important to update the address on any work permits, business licenses, and other pertinent licenses. Moreover, the bank utilized by the company must be informed of the address change.
Changing a company registered address to a different province
Changing your company’s registered business address to another province requires the company to satisfy several requirements.
Firstly, the company must advertise the relocation in the local newspaper and other media.
The company will also be required to amend the company’s memorandum of association (MOA). Amending the MOA will require an Extraordinary Shareholder Meeting. To do so, the director must send a letter to the shareholders within 14 days before the meeting date. After the Shareholders Meeting has approved the relocation, the relocation must be registered with the Department of Business Development, Revenue Department, and Social Security Office.
The company’s address must also be changed on the work permits of foreign employees, and the bank that the company has opened a corporate bank account must also be notified.
Finally, the Revenue Department must be notified 15 days before the relocation.
Documents required for change in address of company in Thailand
The following documents are required for changing a company registered address:
- Copies of the director’s identification card or passport
- Copies of the company’s VAT certificate
- Copies of the company’s affidavit
The documents that need to be submitted by the office building are:
- Copy of the office building’s Tabien Baan
- Copy of the letter of consent that is issued by the office building to the company
- Proof of office building ownership (e., construction permit, house sale agreement, and house number application)
- Copies of the office building’s location
- Photographs of the office and the company’s signboard
What is Household Registration Thailand?
In general, recently built condos specify in their regulations that their units cannot be used for registering a company.
However, some older condominium developments are more flexible. To be sure, you will have to ask the juristic person at the condo in question. If you are a tenant, you will also have to seek permission from your landlord.
If you have a house, it is generally possible to use it to register a company. If your house is part of a compound, like a condo, you must check the compound’s regulations to see if it is possible.
Please note that it is mandatory to display the full company name next to the property’s entrance.
Using a personal address to register a company is often seen as practical and economical. However, doing so may lead to you having your home visited by the authorities as it is also a business premise.
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