Within this past year, Thai elephant pants, a product that has been produced and sold in Thailand for a long time, have become increasingly popular among both Thais and foreigners. This has led to a call from the public to promote elephant pants as part of Thailand’s soft power.
In a bid to respond to this call, the Thai government has conducted a market survey of all elephant pants produced and sold in Thailand. The results outlined that elephant pants sold in Thailand are both domestically and foreign-produced. In response, the Department of Intellectual Property has initiated measures to inspect and raise awareness among manufacturers and distributors regarding their intellectual property rights, in particular the copyright attached to Thai elephant patterns, which belong to Thai creators. Additionally, a collaboration with the Customs Department has been established to scrutinize imported goods that may potentially infringe on said intellectual property rights.
Moreover, there are currently other patterned pants created by Thai designers to showcase the identity of different provinces and localities in Thailand, such as the cat-patterned pants from Korat Province and the Mae Klong River Mackerel-patterned pants from Samut Songkhram Province.
The Department of Intellectual Property has informed and assured manufacturers and creators that if the patterns of these pants are designed without copying the work of others, they will be protected immediately upon creation. However, as for other types of artworks, it is still recommended to file a copyright notification with the Department of Intellectual Property to use as evidence of copyright ownership.
Sources: DIP
Photo 1: Workpointtoday
Photo 2: Matichon
Photo 3: Facebook – Plaplatootoo
Written by: Chanapa (Bam) Thussanasumrit
Reviewers: Adele Marchal
