Commerce OK with using Article 44 to speed up patent approvals
The Commerce Ministry supports use of the military-led regime’s sweeping powers under Article 44 of the interim charter to streamline patent applications, partly by taking into consideration the judgement of foreign authorities to approve similar patents. Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said more than 36,000 patent applications were being held up by the Intellectual Property Department’s scrutiny process. Article 44 could be used to allow patent approvals to be based partly on the scrutiny already done by foreign jurisdictions. She said that if the patent applications waiting for consideration were approved quickly, Thailand’s economy and businesses would benefit and respond the government’s “Thailand 4.0” policy focusing on innovation and technological development.
