Police Seize Copyright Violators

[libya 115]

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: July 10th 2008

POLICE SEIZE COPYRIGHT VIOLATORS

A joint team of Economy and Technology Police (Ecotec-police), local police and tourist police seized copyright violation products, on July 9,2008, at three well known department stores in Pattaya after the US government had blacklisted Thailand.

At 3 pm, on July 9, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kovit Wong-rungrot, commanding officer of the Economy and Technology Police along with Pol.Col. Sathit Chayapob, deputy commander Ecotecpolice, and Pol.Col.Nirandorn Luem-sri, superintendent Ecotecpolice, co-operated with Pol.Col. Nopadol Wongnom, Pattaya superintendent and Pol.Lt.Col.Suwan Un-anan of the Tourist police, to conduct a joint search of both branches of Mike Shopping Mall and Modern Central Pattaya, which was selling copyright violation products.

At the first location, the main Mike Shopping Mall on Pattaya Beach Road, police found booths selling clothes, bags, and jewellery copies of top brand names, such as Ferrari, Louis Vitton, Camel, Lacoste, Armani etc. Most booths were mainly on the ground floor. Police managed to arrest 4 sellers before the rest of them fled. Ten thousand copied products were confiscated.

At the other branch of Mike Department Store on the Beach Road, although most wrongdoers had fled, police also confiscated a number of copyright violation products. At the third location, Modern Central Department Store, located nearby, police arrested 7 sellers and also confiscated copied clothes, jewellery and bags. The value of the products confiscated from all three department stores was worth around Bt20 million, in total.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Kovit announced that he had been commanded by Pol.Lt.Gen. Wuthi Bua-wes, Deputy Police Commander-In-Chief, to suppress and arrest copyright violators all around the country, subsequent to the US government blacklisting of Thailand, China, India and Pakistan for copyright infringements. Initially, the US categorized Thailand as a Watch List (WL) country, but as there had been manufacturing and wide scale sales of copied products, lately, the US has changed the status to Priority Watch List (PWL).

Accordingly, Thailand has been given a bad name internationally and might lose commercial rights with the US in 2009. Therefore, police are redoubling their efforts to suppress and arrest as many culprits as possible, especially in tourist centres, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Chonburi, Phuket, Chiang Mai and other tourist locations around the country in order to lower the watch level of the US. This might help to reduce the numbers of copyright violation products and the authorities will have to keep a close eye on culprits to prevent them from reoffending.

[LtCol]

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: July 10th 2008

POLICE SEIZE COPYRIGHT VIOLATORS

A joint team of Economy and Technology Police (Ecotec-police), local police and tourist police seized copyright violation products, on July 9,2008, at three well known department stores in Pattaya after the US government had blacklisted Thailand.

At 3 pm, on July 9, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kovit Wong-rungrot, commanding officer of the Economy and Technology Police along with Pol.Col. Sathit Chayapob, deputy commander Ecotecpolice, and Pol.Col.Nirandorn Luem-sri, superintendent Ecotecpolice, co-operated with Pol.Col. Nopadol Wongnom, Pattaya superintendent and Pol.Lt.Col.Suwan Un-anan of the Tourist police, to conduct a joint search of both branches of Mike Shopping Mall and Modern Central Pattaya, which was selling copyright violation products.

At the first location, the main Mike Shopping Mall on Pattaya Beach Road, police found booths selling clothes, bags, and jewellery copies of top brand names, such as Ferrari, Louis Vitton, Camel, Lacoste, Armani etc. Most booths were mainly on the ground floor. Police managed to arrest 4 sellers before the rest of them fled. Ten thousand copied products were confiscated.

At the other branch of Mike Department Store on the Beach Road, although most wrongdoers had fled, police also confiscated a number of copyright violation products. At the third location, Modern Central Department Store, located nearby, police arrested 7 sellers and also confiscated copied clothes, jewellery and bags. The value of the products confiscated from all three department stores was worth around Bt20 million, in total.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Kovit announced that he had been commanded by Pol.Lt.Gen. Wuthi Bua-wes, Deputy Police Commander-In-Chief, to suppress and arrest copyright violators all around the country, subsequent to the US government blacklisting of Thailand, China, India and Pakistan for copyright infringements. Initially, the US categorized Thailand as a Watch List (WL) country, but as there had been manufacturing and wide scale sales of copied products, lately, the US has changed the status to Priority Watch List (PWL).

Accordingly, Thailand has been given a bad name internationally and might lose commercial rights with the US in 2009. Therefore, police are redoubling their efforts to suppress and arrest as many culprits as possible, especially in tourist centres, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Chonburi, Phuket, Chiang Mai and other tourist locations around the country in order to lower the watch level of the US. This might help to reduce the numbers of copyright violation products and the authorities will have to keep a close eye on culprits to prevent them from reoffending.

If it is possible to stop this marketing throughout Asia , there would be a vast suffering economically by many locals in Manilla,Bali,Dehli,(Singapore very covertly on Orchard St) etc. Not to mention the factory workers in China that make the majority of it .

I remember once in Manilla watching TV News about a raid on a popular Market & even Police firing Sub Guns over the heads of traders trying to run away. The next day while my wife & I were touring around near that market , local Uniformed Police & Security Officers directed us to where the stalls were back selling pirated DVDs & Clothing...Reality Check!!!!

By the way , E-Bay has just been fined over $250,000,000usd in Europe for allowing Louis Vuitton fakes to go through their Auction system

[britmaveric]

Notice no mention of Tukom or Pantip?

[crudy21]

Notice no mention of Tukom or Pantip?

Imagine the number of skips they would need!

[britmaveric]

Just show per usual, crack down a bit then send the copies back on the street.

[sotsira]

Notice no mention of Tukom or Pantip?

Imagine the number of skips they would need!

Somehow i don't think that the BIB will throw any of it away.

[Digger]

Just so I am sure about this. Under Thai law, a smoker lighting up within a bar and the offender is fined and the owner 10X as much. So if you own a shopping mall, you have no concerns on this score - maybe we should all run for mayor ?????? the irony is that this has been going on for as many years as I have lived here - yet as is invariably the case, the property owner and rent collector gets away without penalty. Outstanding method of law control.

[Chang_paarp]

A joint team of Economy and Technology Police (Ecotec-police),

I wonder what they will call the ecology (green) based technology now?

[Cuban]

The value of the products confiscated from all three department stores was worth around Bt20 million, in total.

Value: Priced at the production cost (?) of 20 Baht a disc, selling price of 80-100 Baht a disc or the 'lost' revenue of +600 Baht at first world prices?