Section 309 — Seizing unregistered IP rights
Statutory text (Thai original)
การยึดสิทธิในเครื่องหมายการค้าซึ่งยังมิได้จดทะเบียน ลิขสิทธิ์ สิทธิขอรับสิทธิบัตร สิทธิในชื่อทางการค้าหรือยี่ห้อ หรือสิทธิอย่างอื่นของลูกหนี้ตามคำพิพากษาที่มีลักษณะคล้ายคลึงกันหรือที่เกี่ยวเนื่องกันกับสิทธิดังกล่าว ให้เจ้าพนักงานบังคับคดีกระทำโดยแจ้งรายการสิทธิที่ยึดให้ลูกหนี้ตามคำพิพากษาทราบ ถ้าไม่สามารถกระทำได้ ให้ดำเนินการตามวิธีการที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๓๐๕ วรรคสอง
English translation
The seizure of a right in an unregistered trademark, a copyright, a right to apply for a patent, a right in a trade name or brand, or any other right of the judgment debtor of a similar nature or connected with such rights, shall be carried out by the executing officer by giving notice of the list of the seized rights to the judgment debtor; if this cannot be done, proceeding in accordance with the method provided in Section 305, paragraph two.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This section, in Part 3, complements Section 308 by reaching rights that are not registered, such as copyright and the right to apply for a patent. Because there is no register to annotate, the seizure is effected simply by notice to the debtor, with the Section 305 posting fallback where notice cannot be served. It confirms that intangible but valuable rights are within reach of execution even without registration. Older Supreme Court decisions citing Section 309 usually concern the pre-2017 numbering on how property is arranged for public auction, so they should be read against the current text.
Why this matters in practice
Copyright and other unregistered rights can be seized even though there is no register entry, so notice to the debtor is what makes the seizure effective. Creditors should document the existence and scope of the right, since there is no register to rely on; debtors should note that these intangibles are not automatically beyond reach. Proving ownership and value is the main practical hurdle.
Frequently asked questions
Can copyright or an unregistered trademark be seized in execution?
Yes. Section 309 allows the executing officer to seize unregistered rights such as copyright, unregistered trademarks, patent application rights, and trade names by giving notice of the seized rights to the debtor.
How is an unregistered right seized when there is no register?
The seizure is effected by notifying the debtor of the seized rights. If the debtor cannot be notified directly, the officer uses the posting method in Section 305, paragraph two.