Govt-cracks-down

[gotlost]

www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/1549/govt-cracks-down-on-pirated-goods

I'll belive this when it happens.

No more Dynast!

No more DVD's

No more Louis Vuitton

No more copy watches

No more how to sell on ebay from Thailand

Snake Wine

[mahtin]

www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/1549/govt-cracks-down-on-pirated-goods

Your link is to Hot Stuff!

Disappointing; not a crack -down to be seen.

[sassienie]

Not another crack down on pirated goods?

This has been happening since my first visit to Thailand, 20 years ago.

I can remember seeing the news clips on Thai TV of the heavy roller vehicles crushing a load of fake brand watches and videos.

I have no idea why the authorities bother with this publicity, as no one believes it or is convinced.

[surangw]

confiscated, hauled away and possibly sold later

[Maizefarmer]

Another crackdown …………… that’s what it is – just another crackdown.

Understand how these so-called “crackdowns” come about: its NOT the police behind them, despite what folk think.

“Crackdown” ’s to take place when a complaint is made, or intelligence is been acted on.

The complaints and intelligence in nearly all cases comes from individuals (“snitches” if you will) who approach one or other of the specialist IP law or investigative firms under contract to the IP/brand-name, trade mark and copy right owners in Thailand

The industry is dominated by 3 or 4 IP investigation companies who between them represent 95% plus of IP and brand-name owners, and it’s about 3 legal companies who handle the associated litigation.

It’s these guys who go to court and apply for search warrants to “raid” – usually based on intelligence from informants, or complaints from IP owners. They go to great lengths to keep raid addresses unknown to the police until the very last moment – often the cops don’t even know themselves where the raids are going to take place until they arrive at the front door/gate of the premises on the raid day with the IP owners raid team Oh yes, counter-feighters go to great lengths to bride court officials and cops in the IP section for heads up warnings on the search warrant addresses – so both the court officials and cops are carefully chosen. There is big money in the business.

The problem in Thailand is that IP penalties are weak – less than 5% of offenders get prison sentences, and the financial penalties are no discouragement – the exception been if the individual is stung under “copy-right” legislation - as poor old Stickman was some years ago – and was fined very very severly, far more so than any Thai had every been stung.

Crack down stories make nice media print when the quantities are big ……. but you can be sure that its back to business as usually within a couple of days for the counterfeighters. It won’t stop – every 6 months or so the cycle repeats its self – a few big finds are found, the press are called in to take pictures – then its back to business as usual – and there is nothing anyone is doing to really put a stop to it.

If you have intelligence on counterfeighting production (i.e. a factory manufacturing counterfeighted brand-named, trade marked or copy righted articles), or you have intelligence on a container load of c/f cd's, or c/f jeans, shoes, car parts ....................... anything that is c/f (counterfieghted) in large quantities (shop stock quantities won't be of interest) - it needs to be a container load plus size, or a production facility with stock on the premises (and that is important - there needs to be c/f stock present - though branded shoe molds are always nice to get hold of because without them shoes cannot be counterfeighted) - drop me a discreet pm and I'll give you a email address unrelated to TV, and we can "talk" - you could make yourself a lot of money. I know an ex-pat who makes himself Baht 100K - Baht 200K a month from intelligence on counterfeiting. But note - it needs to be a large quantity (4 and 5 figure quantities plus - not shop stockrooms with a couple hundred pieces of whatever). In the unlikely event you know of a CD stamping room - thats very valuable info - commericial cd stamping, not someone burning off 10 here, 10 there ... needs to be large volume.

The problem with counterfeighting is that it is not the victimless/harmless money making practise many think it is. Okay companies like MS can be argued to have themselves to blame - pricing software in Thailand at prices not far off from Western pricing only invites folk to share copies, but large scale commercial/industrial type counterfieting is often a front for far more serious activity: just ask Boots and Tesco in the UK who, despite their audited supply logistic chains have fallen victim to c/f toilatries like toothpaste, and c/f pharmacueticals like Viargra, diabetic insulin and asthma inhalers - traced back to c/f manufacture in Thailand. All too often the folk behind counterfeiting are organised crooks who wouldn't care a toss selling you a c/f life supporting medication if they can get away with it. And it goes on - all to often the same guys behind c/f are found to be involved in financing human trafficking and bulk narcotic smuggling.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Maizefarmer