Supreme Court Judgment 19350/2557 — Buddha face on Bodhi leaf sculptures

Expediente y fuentes

Nombre

Supreme Court Judgment 19350/2557 — Buddha face on Bodhi leaf sculptures

Cita

ฎีกา 19350/2557; Supreme Court docket ทก.(อ)122/2556

Tribunal

Supreme Court of Thailand, Intellectual Property division

Instancia

última instancia

Fechas

year

2014

Estado

year-only-reporter

Resultado

Dismissal reversed on the accepted count; both defendants convicted, fines reduced and custodial terms suspended.

Resumen

The claimant's independently made three-dimensional expression was protected notwithstanding ancient subject matter; the defendants infringed. Notification records supported the evidentiary chronology but did not replace the court's merits analysis.

Antecedentes

The claimant developed three-dimensional Buddha faces on Bodhi leaves through modelling, optical/reflection experiments and specific facial and spiral choices. Both sides had filed DIP copyright-information notifications for related sculptures, and police later seized similar moulds and products from the defendants' production site.

Historia procesal

The claimant brought a private criminal prosecution. The Central IP and International Trade Court accepted only the reproduction/adaptation count, rejected the sale count and ultimately dismissed. The claimant appealed. The Supreme Court reversed on the accepted count, convicted both defendants, imposed six months and THB 120,000 each, reduced to four months and THB 80,000 each, and suspended imprisonment for one year.

Cuestión jurídica

Whether a sculpture using ancient/natural Buddha imagery nevertheless reflected independent originating expression and whether the defendants copied it; what evidentiary role DIP notifications played.

Criterio

The claimant's independently made three-dimensional expression was protected notwithstanding ancient subject matter; the defendants infringed. Notification records supported the evidentiary chronology but did not replace the court's merits analysis.

Fundamento decisivo

Old subject matter can support a new protected expression when the claimant proves independent expressive choices; a DIP notification is evidence, not conclusive creation of the right.

Límites

The case involved extensive human physical modelling and infringement evidence. It does not treat a notification, applicant name or mere AI-use disclosure as a substantive copyright grant, nor decide model-generated expression.

Relevancia

administrativo

Referencias relacionadas

Peso del precedente

Final Supreme Court authority with high guiding weight on originality and the evidentiary, non-conclusive role of notification. Integración/votación: Three-judge panel: Parinya Deephadung, Nuannoi Phonthawi and Thatchaphan Praphutthanitisan (Thai transliteration); individual votes/separate opinions not published.

Fuente

Referencia

Supreme Court Judgment 19350/2557 — Buddha face on Bodhi leaf sculptures

Enlace

Consultar fuente

Autoridad

ThaiDeka reproduction identifying source as the Office/Division of Supreme Court Judicial Assistants

Tipo

national originality and notification-as-evidence analogue; not an AI case

Localizador

ThaiDeka ย่อสั้น on originality/notification; เนื้อหาคำพิพากษา paras on notifications ศ2.4080/4081, creation evidence, infringement and final sentence; ข้อมูลฎีกา docket/coram/source

Verificación documentada

Sí