Thailand has announced its intention to seek to be removed from the USTR’s Special 301 Watch List. Thailand has appeared there since it was downgraded from the Priority Watch List in 2017.
The Thai Department of Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan announced that various measures would be taken to remove Thailand from the Watch List. The focus would be on protection of copyrights and trademarks and in particular enforcement violations. The Thai DIP has agreed a work plan with the USTR to achieve this.
The Special 301 report helps determine whether countries can keep GSPs (Generalized System of Preferences) which cover their products exported to the US. This may become important during the upcoming Trump Presidency.
US Copyright owners will no doubt focus on enforcement cases in Thailand in the coming months to help the USTR determine the effectiveness of Thailand's enforcement commitments.
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