Many local businesses and institutions are not in a position to benefit from intellectual property (IP) because of their lack of knowledge of the regulations, a copyright lawyer said this week.
Speaking at a seminar entitled "IP Valuation and Commercialisation for SMEs" on Wednesday, Lorna Patajo Kapunan, a senior partner of Philippines-based law firm Roco Kapunan Migallos Perez & Luna, said Thai small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) could make use of IP to increase competitiveness and add value to their business, if only they knew how to exercise the rights.
She said Thai SME entrepreneurs did not comprehend, or know how to exercise, their rights when their products were being copied or violated.
The reason for lack of knowledge, or negligence, of IP among SMEs is the cost it adds to a business, she said.
