Leading American Brands Want Thailand To Be On Priority Watch List

[george]

Leading American brands want Thailand to be on Priority Watch List

Leading American brands Levi, Marlboro and LM, the Cable Broadcasting Satellite Association of Asia and the American Apparel and Footwear Association have urged the US government to downgrade Thailand to its Priority Watch List, citing worsening counterfeiting, according to the US Trade Representative's recent report.

Thailand is currently categorised in the Watch List as making limited progress in suppressing intellectual property violations. The USTR will announce its revision of the intellectual property violation grouping in April.

If Thailand is moved from the Watch List to the Priority Watch List, it would face difficulties when the USTR considers the country's status in the US' Generalised System of Preferences and other trade retaliation practices.

In the letter submitted to the USTR, Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world's largest brandname apparel marketers, said the piracy problem in Thailand is severe. The situation is hurting its local and international business. It said the Kingdom serves as a manufacturing base for imitation goods, and is a leading exporter of those goods.

-- The Nation 2007-02-27

[astral]

Perhaps Thailand can manage without these over-priced products??????????

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Leading American brands want Thailand to be on Priority Watch List

Leading American brands Levi, Marlboro and LM, the Cable Broadcasting Satellite Association of Asia and the American Apparel and Footwear Association have urged the US government to downgrade Thailand to its Priority Watch List, citing worsening counterfeiting, according to the US Trade Representative's recent report.

Thailand is currently categorised in the Watch List as making limited progress in suppressing intellectual property violations. The USTR will announce its revision of the intellectual property violation grouping in April.

If Thailand is moved from the Watch List to the Priority Watch List, it would face difficulties when the USTR considers the country's status in the US' Generalised System of Preferences and other trade retaliation practices.

In the letter submitted to the USTR, Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world's largest brandname apparel marketers, said the piracy problem in Thailand is severe. The situation is hurting its local and international business. It said the Kingdom serves as a manufacturing base for imitation goods, and is a leading exporter of those goods.

-- The Nation 2007-02-27

Life's still good here!

[richard10365]

As always, when the US stops doing business with a country, there are always other countries ready to move in and fill the void. China, Russia, and Venezuela find easy business partners with countries the US refuse to do business with. I think the rest of the world is getting a bit bored of the USA.

[farangsay]

Perhaps Thailand can manage without these over-priced products??????????

I believe it Was Levi Strauss (and others) who managed to get a

favourable European court ruling in their case against a UK chain

store who were importing real Levis from the US and selling them

cheaper than clothing stores because of price differentials practiced

between the US and European markets.

Why buy overpriced imported brands or low quality knock offs when

there are perfectly good and reasonably priced local products.

[Cyberstar]

Plenty of other - and sufficient - good pants and shoes to be found in Thailand. Only brand name freaks will suffer.

[endure]

Perhaps Thailand can manage without these over-priced products??????????

I believe it Was Levi Strauss (and others) who managed to get a

favourable European court ruling in their case against a UK chain

store who were importing real Levis from the US and selling them

cheaper than clothing stores because of price differentials practiced

between the US and European markets.

Why buy overpriced imported brands or low quality knock offs when

there are perfectly good and reasonably priced local products.

The chain store was Tesco and they were actually importing Levi jeans from other European countries into the UK.

[sonnyJ]

Fake Marlborough & LM in Thailand? Never heard of that. I'm serious.

What comes to Lewis an Nike, they are right. Lots of exporting going on. I don't see any reason why not to. It's good quality. Only problem, Brand Name...

[britmaveric]

Well I guess there will some crackdowns coming.

[cdnvic]

Fake Marlborough & LM in Thailand? Never heard of that. I'm serious.

What comes to Lewis an Nike, they are right. Lots of exporting going on. I don't see any reason why not to. It's good quality. Only problem, Brand Name...

Some of the knockoffs are pretty convincing so you may not have noticed.

[Kimera]

Leading American brands want Thailand to be on Priority Watch List

Leading American brands Levi, Marlboro and LM, the Cable Broadcasting Satellite Association of Asia and the American Apparel and Footwear Association have urged the US government to downgrade Thailand to its Priority Watch List, citing worsening counterfeiting, according to the US Trade Representative's recent report.

Thailand is currently categorised in the Watch List as making limited progress in suppressing intellectual property violations. The USTR will announce its revision of the intellectual property violation grouping in April.

If Thailand is moved from the Watch List to the Priority Watch List, it would face difficulties when the USTR considers the country's status in the US' Generalised System of Preferences and other trade retaliation practices.

In the letter submitted to the USTR, Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world's largest brandname apparel marketers, said the piracy problem in Thailand is severe. The situation is hurting its local and international business. It said the Kingdom serves as a manufacturing base for imitation goods, and is a leading exporter of those goods.

-- The Nation 2007-02-27

It would be interesting to know how many of these products are made in Thailand. My firm in the UK sells (Realtree) clothing and they ARE made here!

[richard10365]

Perhaps the new Thai government will declare a national emergency like the did with certain pharmaceuticals and make it legal to copy and sell them.

[John K]

Actually I know someone who works at MBK in the small shops on the third floor. The police have been there very regularly over the last 3 weeks. The amazing thing is her boss paid one of his employees 10,000 ThB to go to the police when they wanted to question someone. She sees this as all routine and expects a return to normal in a few weeks.

I also noticed on lower Sukhumvit that DVD sales are now done by “follow me.”

[Tony Clifton]

Fake cigarettes? The real U.S. product won't kill me or maybe more slowly?

[terryp]

This is the crack down promised last Sept into IPR

Levis make me laugh 5,000 baht (in Europe) for a pair of jeans made in China??????? That’s why they want protection (keep those massive profits coming)

Go to the Levis factory outlet in Macau or Hong Kong they are more expensive than in Thailand?

It's all Borrocks

The fake Fags are Cambodian & Malay

Edited February 28, 2007 by terryp

[Scott]

I hate buying fake goods. I am not a brand name freak and I have no problem with buying cheap jeans, watches etc, but I don't like it when they are fake. The reason, in part, is because the no-name jeans are cheaper. Once they put the designer label on they up the price. So for those who think someone is being "more honourable", they aren't.

Of course, the next time you or someone you care about goes to the Dr. and gets a fake medicine that'll be OK, right?

[Tony Clifton]

Rolex once said they did not care about fakes anymore as the people buying fakes couldn't afford a real one anyway and they're actually promoting their product.

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

It is interesting when the boot is on the other foot. Thailand goes ballistic when another country sells mislabeled Thai rice. Gets the whole country worked up. A few years ago they wanted to arrest an American scientist for splicing Jasmine rice genes into a variety that could be grown over a wider range of soils and climates and could be mechanically harvested. But when Thais steal other countries brands, patents or copyrights and build a thriving business both in the domestic and export market the government conveniently looks the other way. There has been no serious effort to pass laws here to address Thai theft from other countries. There is every excuse in the book on why this is acceptable. In all the time I have been in the country I have never seen a serious crack down on trademark and copyright piracy. One or two small shops get busted and then it is back to business as usual. They never go after the manufacturer.

Edited February 28, 2007 by ChiangMaiAmerican

[Prakanong]

Rolex once said they did not care about fakes anymore as the people buying fakes couldn't afford a real one anyway and they're actually promoting their product.

They still had someone jailed in Belgium though I think.

Its strange as I will wear a fake t-shirt but would not wear a real Rolex (as I have a real one ;-)

[Prakanong]

It is interesting when the boot is on the other foot. Thailand goes ballistic when another country sells mislabeled Thai rice. Gets the whole country worked up. A few years ago they wanted to arrest an American scientist for splicing Jasmine rice genes into a variety that could be grown over a wider range of soils and climates and could be mechanically harvested. But when Thais steal other countries brands, patents or copyrights and build a thriving business both in the domestic and export market the government conveniently looks the other way. There has been no serious effort to pass laws here to address Thai theft from other countries. There is every excuse in the book on why this is acceptable. In all the time I have been in the country I have never seen a serious crack down on trademark and copyright piracy. One or two small shops get busted and then it is back to business as usual. They never go after the manufacturer.

TIT - their game and their rules!

Its funny when they get outside Thailand and always lose - then the toys come out of the pram and the dummy is spit - they even walk off football pitches.

[wintermute]

It is interesting when the boot is on the other foot. Thailand goes ballistic when another country sells mislabeled Thai rice. Gets the whole country worked up. A few years ago they wanted to arrest an American scientist for splicing Jasmine rice genes into a variety that could be grown over a wider range of soils and climates and could be mechanically harvested. But when Thais steal other countries brands, patents or copyrights and build a thriving business both in the domestic and export market the government conveniently looks the other way. There has been no serious effort to pass laws here to address Thai theft from other countries. There is every excuse in the book on why this is acceptable. In all the time I have been in the country I have never seen a serious crack down on trademark and copyright piracy. One or two small shops get busted and then it is back to business as usual. They never go after the manufacturer.

In that case Thailand bent over real good and changed their brand name to Hom Mali rice for exports because the U.S. was able to patent it. Trying to arrest an American scientist is a real joke anyways. If they tried to use force against the U.S. Thailand would get their little junta hands slapped by the CIA or some other agency.

[wintermute]

It is interesting when the boot is on the other foot. Thailand goes ballistic when another country sells mislabeled Thai rice. Gets the whole country worked up. A few years ago they wanted to arrest an American scientist for splicing Jasmine rice genes into a variety that could be grown over a wider range of soils and climates and could be mechanically harvested. But when Thais steal other countries brands, patents or copyrights and build a thriving business both in the domestic and export market the government conveniently looks the other way. There has been no serious effort to pass laws here to address Thai theft from other countries. There is every excuse in the book on why this is acceptable. In all the time I have been in the country I have never seen a serious crack down on trademark and copyright piracy. One or two small shops get busted and then it is back to business as usual. They never go after the manufacturer.

TIT - their game and their rules!

Its funny when they get outside Thailand and always lose - then the toys come out of the pram and the dummy is spit - they even walk off football pitches.

They can't handle national face loss. Just read the Bangkok editorials sometime..Thai pride is often mentioned by Thai writers like it's some holy sacred thing that noone can violate even though most of the big time face loss situations were mostly due to Thai behavior on the world front. The world doesn't take this country's opinions seriously for a reason. It's not a major player in SE asia because Thailand's policies have always been hampered by schizophrenic and childish attitudes towards foreign relations. This shows up in business or diplomatic affairs all the time. Just look at the sheer number of disputes Thailand has had with its neighbors and examine the reasons.

[gmac]

Leading American brands want Thailand to be on Priority Watch List

Leading American brands Levi, Marlboro and LM, the Cable Broadcasting Satellite Association of Asia and the American Apparel and Footwear Association have urged the US government to downgrade Thailand to its Priority Watch List, citing worsening counterfeiting, according to the US Trade Representative's recent report.

Thailand is currently categorised in the Watch List as making limited progress in suppressing intellectual property violations. The USTR will announce its revision of the intellectual property violation grouping in April.

If Thailand is moved from the Watch List to the Priority Watch List, it would face difficulties when the USTR considers the country's status in the US' Generalised System of Preferences and other trade retaliation practices.

In the letter submitted to the USTR, Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world's largest brandname apparel marketers, said the piracy problem in Thailand is severe. The situation is hurting its local and international business. It said the Kingdom serves as a manufacturing base for imitation goods, and is a leading exporter of those goods.

-- The Nation 2007-02-27

It would be interesting to know how many of these products are made in Thailand. My firm in the UK sells (Realtree) clothing and they ARE made here!

The difference being that it's OK to exploit low paid workers if you have a big brand name, but it is not OK to exploit the brand name so that the low paid workers can afford to buy the products (or copies of them) that they make!!

[ThaiGoon]

The difference being that it's OK to exploit low paid workers if you have a big brand name, but it is not OK to exploit the brand name so that the low paid workers can afford to buy the products (or copies of them) that they make!!

Good point there.

[zhudi]

this is normal, as we move towards global brand name control. Its all fair. we should just start wearing non brand name products. Im all for copying Drugs though. Do you think Thailand is changing for the better or worse?

[Prakanong]

It is interesting when the boot is on the other foot. Thailand goes ballistic when another country sells mislabeled Thai rice. Gets the whole country worked up. A few years ago they wanted to arrest an American scientist for splicing Jasmine rice genes into a variety that could be grown over a wider range of soils and climates and could be mechanically harvested. But when Thais steal other countries brands, patents or copyrights and build a thriving business both in the domestic and export market the government conveniently looks the other way. There has been no serious effort to pass laws here to address Thai theft from other countries. There is every excuse in the book on why this is acceptable. In all the time I have been in the country I have never seen a serious crack down on trademark and copyright piracy. One or two small shops get busted and then it is back to business as usual. They never go after the manufacturer.

TIT - their game and their rules!

Its funny when they get outside Thailand and always lose - then the toys come out of the pram and the dummy is spit - they even walk off football pitches.

They can't handle national face loss. Just read the Bangkok editorials sometime..Thai pride is often mentioned by Thai writers like it's some holy sacred thing that noone can violate even though most of the big time face loss situations were mostly due to Thai behavior on the world front. The world doesn't take this country's opinions seriously for a reason. It's not a major player in SE asia because Thailand's policies have always been hampered by schizophrenic and childish attitudes towards foreign relations. This shows up in business or diplomatic affairs all the time. Just look at the sheer number of disputes Thailand has had with its neighbors and examine the reasons.

I totally agree but most of the time they are losing face no matter how much they try and explain it away.

I also agree with them believing this "Face" thing of Thai is some holy sacred thing - many others have face - only more of it and are less apt to lose it.

Just look at Shin Sat

We are taking it back

No we will buy it

We will buy it if public opinion tells us to

We will now take it back - all deals are off the table

Now more govt.s resignations

Writing of the consitution causing controversy about what to include and not to include

Then the IP rights debacle - who would invest in Thailand these days - itstime to weight unless its bottom of the ladder assembly line production as a hedge against China ie the Japanese dare not put all eggs into the China basket.

[wintermute]

It is interesting when the boot is on the other foot. Thailand goes ballistic when another country sells mislabeled Thai rice. Gets the whole country worked up. A few years ago they wanted to arrest an American scientist for splicing Jasmine rice genes into a variety that could be grown over a wider range of soils and climates and could be mechanically harvested. But when Thais steal other countries brands, patents or copyrights and build a thriving business both in the domestic and export market the government conveniently looks the other way. There has been no serious effort to pass laws here to address Thai theft from other countries. There is every excuse in the book on why this is acceptable. In all the time I have been in the country I have never seen a serious crack down on trademark and copyright piracy. One or two small shops get busted and then it is back to business as usual. They never go after the manufacturer.

TIT - their game and their rules!

Its funny when they get outside Thailand and always lose - then the toys come out of the pram and the dummy is spit - they even walk off football pitches.

They can't handle national face loss. Just read the Bangkok editorials sometime..Thai pride is often mentioned by Thai writers like it's some holy sacred thing that noone can violate even though most of the big time face loss situations were mostly due to Thai behavior on the world front. The world doesn't take this country's opinions seriously for a reason. It's not a major player in SE asia because Thailand's policies have always been hampered by schizophrenic and childish attitudes towards foreign relations. This shows up in business or diplomatic affairs all the time. Just look at the sheer number of disputes Thailand has had with its neighbors and examine the reasons.

I totally agree but most of the time they are losing face no matter how much they try and explain it away.

I also agree with them believing this "Face" thing of Thai is some holy sacred thing - many others have face - only more of it and are less apt to lose it.

Just look at Shin Sat

We are taking it back

No we will buy it

We will buy it if public opinion tells us to

We will now take it back - all deals are off the table

Now more govt.s resignations

Writing of the consitution causing controversy about what to include and not to include

Then the IP rights debacle - who would invest in Thailand these days - itstime to weight unless its bottom of the ladder assembly line production as a hedge against China ie the Japanese dare not put all eggs into the China basket.

On top of that Singaporean investment has fallen by about 88% as reported by the BKK post this week. Singapore was also one of the top 3 nations that invest in Thailand. There are many countries that are analyzing their investment portfolios in Thailand. Things are just too unpredictable here without a stable government who can at least keep consistent economic policies. Foreign companies can work around corruption as long as it's consistent but when you have various politicians and officials crafting new peculiar policies every other month then investor sentiment tends to take a nosedive.

Developing countries depend on FDI because that's the only thing that can spur longterm economc development. There are virtually no countries on earth that have gone at it alone and made themselves into an economic superpower. Even European countries invest heavily in each other..as well as in the U.S. It's how the world works and this detail completely flies over the head of the thinking by Thai officials.

[Thai-Spy]

Leading American brands want Thailand to be on Priority Watch List

Leading American brands Levi, Marlboro and LM, the Cable Broadcasting Satellite Association of Asia and the American Apparel and Footwear Association have urged the US government to downgrade Thailand to its Priority Watch List, citing worsening counterfeiting, according to the US Trade Representative's recent report.

Thailand is currently categorised in the Watch List as making limited progress in suppressing intellectual property violations. The USTR will announce its revision of the intellectual property violation grouping in April.

If Thailand is moved from the Watch List to the Priority Watch List, it would face difficulties when the USTR considers the country's status in the US' Generalised System of Preferences and other trade retaliation practices.

In the letter submitted to the USTR, Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world's largest brandname apparel marketers, said the piracy problem in Thailand is severe. The situation is hurting its local and international business. It said the Kingdom serves as a manufacturing base for imitation goods, and is a leading exporter of those goods.

-- The Nation 2007-02-27

It would be interesting to know how many of these products are made in Thailand. My firm in the UK sells (Realtree) clothing and they ARE made here!

The difference being that it's OK to exploit low paid workers if you have a big brand name, but it is not OK to exploit the brand name so that the low paid workers can afford to buy the products (or copies of them) that they make!!

It's in the nature of a business to make a profit, and further, to maximize that profit. This is done by selling goods and services at a price point that optimizes revenue and by controlling production costs. In view of the latter, it's common to move manufacturing to places where production costs are lower. While there are occasional high-profile cases of worker abuse, on the whole international manufacturing concerns pay a wage slightly higher than average for that trade and offer somewhat better than average industrial conditions versus local concerns. Whether they do this voluntarily as good corporate citizens or under duress from government, media and social activists in their home country and primary markets is irrelevant. It is not exploitation, it is opportunity, and the overseas workforce is (again except in exceptional cases of abuse) free to decline those jobs and seek other employment.

There is no absolutely no relevance in that to the misuse and misappropriation of a brand name. Neither is that exploitation; it is theft. Anyone holding the contrary view will find themselves opposed by the entire body of international copyright, trademark and intellectual property law. On a less esoteric plane, a major brand such as Levis, has invested literally hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide to establish a reputation for their goods and also to position them, in many cases, as a lifestyle choice. Counterfeiters who produce an inferior product undermine consumer good will and trust in the brand, and are free-riding on the investment in advertising and promotion the manufacturer has made.

As a larger social issue, can anyone credibly claim that the average worker will likely enjoy a higher salary and better workplace conditions in a shop that makes counterfeit goods? What is more, black market goods travel through an irregular distribution channel and thereby avoid most taxation, weakening the tax base and inhibiting social spending and development programs by government. Furthermore, large scale counterfeiting, at least as regards physical goods, is inseparable from official corruption and organized crime. To embrace or even defend counterfeit goods is to encourage a non-democratic and non-representative power structure which works against the good of the common worker as an individual and his society as a whole.

[ColPyat]

While there are occasional high-profile cases of worker abuse, on the whole international manufacturing concerns pay a wage slightly higher than average for that trade and offer somewhat better than average industrial conditions versus local concerns. Whether they do this voluntarily as good corporate citizens or under duress from government, media and social activists in their home country and primary markets is irrelevant. It is not exploitation, it is opportunity, and the overseas workforce is (again except in exceptional cases of abuse) free to decline those jobs and seek other employment.

Just a little clarification.

The problems regarding abuse are mostly not in the original contractors which are usually regularly controlled by the owners of the brand name, but in the very complex network of sub-contractors, which are very difficult to control.

To get a job in the original factories is very difficult, other than necessary school papers a worker needs connections inside.

A famous example of this was the "Bed and Bath" saga here.

[Scott]

One of the problems with fakes is that somehow it gives added credence to the brand name. Again, I don't like fakes and I don't buy them (knowingly). I buy the cheap jeans, watches etc. I am paying less and I am getting less. When we buy fakes it says to the poorer folks that somehow Levi's are better than "X" brand. Usually, they are better, but they aren't worth the cost (to me). I don't like making other people think/feel conscious of what they are wearing.