Social media uproar over claimed registration of “Pang Cha” trademark

An uproar broke out on social media yesterday (Monday) after a popular Bangkok restaurant posted the image of one of its dishes called “Pang Cha” on Facebook, claiming that the name of the dessert had been registered with the Department of Intellectual Property under the Trademark Protection Act.

The unnamed restaurant also claimed that, since the “Pang Cha” trademark has been legally registered, no one has the right to use this name for its products or premises or emulate or modify its product.

The controversial post immediately drew widespread reaction from Thai netizens, many of them wondering whether they can still use the word “pang” (meaning bread) or “cha” (meaning tea) or even whether they can still sell bread or serve iced tea.

One of the Facebook posts, by lawyer Peerapat Foithong, said that it is a good thing that the restaurant owner is interested in…