Services
Copyright and Creative Content in Thailand
Copyright protection in Thailand, from ownership and copyright recordation to licensing, online takedowns and infringement claims.
Overview
Owning, using and protecting creative works
Copyright protects literary, artistic, musical, audiovisual and other creative works, including computer programs. In Thailand it arises automatically on creation, so the practical questions are usually who owns a work, how it may be used, and how ownership can be proved when it is challenged.
We advise creators, publishers, brand owners, technology companies and overseas counsel on copyright protection in Thailand. Clients typically instruct us when they are:
- Commissioning creative work
- Licensing content or software
- Recording copyright notification
- Receiving an infringement claim
- Finding content copied online
- Clearing content before launch
What we do
Our copyright services
Ownership advice
Advice on who owns works created by employees, contractors and commissioned creators, and ownership agreements.
Copyright notification
Recording copyright notification with the Department of Intellectual Property and organising evidence of creation and ownership.
Licensing and permissions
Drafting and reviewing licences, permissions and releases for content, software, music, images and other creative works.
Content clearance
Review of campaigns, publications and products before launch to identify third-party rights and reduce infringement risk.
Online enforcement
Notices to online service providers and platforms to remove infringing content, and follow-up where content reappears.
Infringement claims
Advice on infringement complaints and responses, from cease-and-desist letters to civil and criminal action.
Local practice
What to know about Thai copyright law
Points that often decide who owns a work and how securely that ownership can be relied on.
Commissioned works
Copyright in a commissioned work generally belongs to the person who commissioned it, unless the parties agree otherwise.
Employee works
Copyright in a work created by an employee generally belongs to the employee unless agreed otherwise in writing, although the employer may use it for the purposes of the employment.
Notification is not registration
Copyright notification with the Department of Intellectual Property records a claim to a work, but it does not create or conclusively prove ownership.
Moral rights
Authors can be identified as the author and object to distortion of their work, even after the economic rights have been transferred.
FAQs
Copyright protection in Thailand: common questions
Do I need to register copyright in Thailand?
No. Copyright arises automatically when a work is created. Copyright notification with the Department of Intellectual Property is optional, but it can be useful as supporting evidence together with drafts, files and other records of creation.
Are foreign works protected in Thailand?
Yes. Thailand is a member of the Berne Convention and the WTO, so works first published in, or created by nationals of, other member countries are protected without registration in Thailand.
Who owns copyright in a commissioned work?
Generally, the person who commissions the work owns the copyright unless the parties agree otherwise. Because disputes often turn on the wording of the commission, ownership should be addressed in a written agreement.
How long does copyright last in Thailand?
For most works by an individual author, copyright lasts for the author’s life plus 50 years. Works by juristic persons, photographs, audiovisual works, sound recordings and broadcasts are generally protected for 50 years from creation or first publication, and works of applied art for 25 years.
How can infringing content be removed online?
Thai copyright law provides a notice-and-takedown procedure under which copyright owners can require online service providers to remove or disable infringing content. Where content is repeatedly reposted or causes serious harm, civil or criminal action may also be appropriate.
Related services
When copyright matters go further
Anti-Counterfeiting
Investigations and enforcement action against pirated goods and large-scale copying.
Dispute Resolution
Representation in copyright infringement proceedings and ownership disputes.
Commercialisation
Licensing programmes, assignments and due diligence involving creative works.
Contact the firm
Discuss your copyright matter
Contact us about ownership of creative work, a licence, content copied online or an infringement claim in Thailand.