Thai Television Show(s) Stealing Hollywood Soundscores?

[SiangDeeMahk]

I was watching (well, ok, I was in the same room with a TV that was showing) a Thai drama show on channel 7, called Jaw Waylaa Ha Goh (เจาะเวลาหาโก๊ะ), and I overheard the soundtrack peeking through the dialogue. Being an aficionado of Motion Picture soundtracks, I instantly recognized it as the second part of the main theme from "Forrest Gump".

Now, I certainly don't know how much clout the producers of this rather mid-range drama/comedy (you know, with all the dumb sound effects) garner in the world, but I'd be pretty willing to bet good money that Robert Zemeckis & Paramount Pictures are not in the habit of "renting out" their Oscar-nominated soundscore to crappy low budget S.E. Asia middle-of-the-day dramas. Nor do I think that Alan Silvestri, who won the BMI Film Music Award for composing the score, would be putting it out there for use in the world, royalty-free.

For the record, it's certainly not the first time I've heard Thai shows use soundscores from well known movies. Even 6 Oscar-winning films like Forrest Gump.

My question is, how does this speak to the Thai Government's "ongoing crackdown" on the sale of pirated DVDs, CDs, and software in the Kingdom (which they're under terrible pressure to clean up, from Hollywood and the US Government), when they allow BLATANT copyright infringement to go on, in publicly broadcast TV shows? If a private citizen (anywhere) is not allowed to use copyrighted content (music) even when they're just making a litte YouTube video... not even for commercial use, but just for fun (and yes, there are thousands of YouTube videos sans-audio now, as Youtube has begun to disable the sound in video clips that use copyrighted music), then there's something fundamentally wrong with the producers of these Thai dramas using stolen/unlicensed Hollywood soundscores, and then receiving money from advertisers (sometimes representing international companies) to have their commercials run during these shows which are broadcast publicly to millions of viewers.

Thoughts? Opinions? Are there credits (in Thai) at the end of the show that I'm not catching, documenting the source of (and permission to use) the soundtracks? Or, are there any Thai Visa folk that can verify that the Thai producers are in fact paying royalties to the Hollywood movie companies for the use of these music scores..?

:::fumbles in his rolodex for Zemeckis's e-mail address:::

[gotlost]

Now you know why Thailand is still on the hit list of the USA copyright infringement.

[rixalex]

Noticed this for many years and wondered like you. It's yet another aspect of Thai TV that winds me up.

[sangfroid]

Theft of soundtrack music is a common practice here. I have even heard some the amazing tracks by Ennio Morricone from the movie "The Mission" used in tawdry Thai soaps, and on one occasion some of the fantastic music from Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for the movie "Medicine Man" used in a totally inappropriate setting. Frankly it annoys the hel_l out of me.

[rixalex]

Theft of soundtrack music is a common practice here. I have even heard some the amazing tracks by Ennio Morricone from the movie "The Mission" used in tawdry Thai soaps, and on one occasion some of the fantastic music from Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for the movie "Medicine Man" used in a totally inappropriate setting. Frankly it annoys the hel_l out of me.

Tawdry. What a great word and how appropriate.

OK guys, only question now is which one of us is going to call appropriate authorities?

[richardt1808]

Totally agree.

I had a friend who worked at Channel 3 and I mentioned this to him a few years back and asked why they dont use their other library music instead. His reply was that they dont have any music library, not a single CD. Now, every TV station and production company on the planet has a sound library; the purpose of which is to allow producers to add audio effects and music to their productions (apart from a few pirate operations in South America, maybe). Thailand's huge, publicly traded Free-TV companies are a disgrace in this regard and it's high time that someone did something about it.

I wish one of the big name rights-owners would slap them with a civil suit; or at least we should be writing to management.

[blakegeee]

Ya, one crap show that the wife watches uses the Simpsons theme song in the middle of each episode off and on.

[toptuan]

Not exactly pirated, but I wince at Christmas music or Western childrens' nursery rhyme tunes sometimes being inserted into Thai TV programming or commercials at the most inappropriate or incongruous moments. It's like they're counting on the Thai audience's ignorance of the words to the melodies, so they can expropriate a ready-made melody they don't have the creativeness to replace on their own.

Once I went to a Buddhist couple's wedding, and they decided on the opening music to "Yesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" to get the ceremony going: A Christian hymn which extols the virtues and attributes of Jesus Christ over all other "gods" and human joys. (I felt like bursting out into song--Thai translation, of course-- to amplify the ridiculous choice of music). Surely, out of the thousands of chants sung by Buddhist monks, they couldn't have chosen something slightly closer to their culture? Weird.

One thing fits: Form without substance.

Edited May 8, 2010 by toptuan

[kurnell]

I can also think of a few Thai songs that have stolen tunes from other artists. In particular that pansy-assed, pip-squeak Thai boy that had a few hit singles about 6-7 years ago where he would dance seductively with sexy Thai women. No idea of his name, but I am sure someone on this forum remembers. I will ask my wife when she comes back from work tonight and get back to you.

[rixalex]

I can also think of a few Thai songs that have stolen tunes from other artists. In particular that pansy-assed, pip-squeak Thai boy that had a few hit singles about 6-7 years ago where he would dance seductively with sexy Thai women. No idea of his name, but I am sure someone on this forum remembers. I will ask my wife when she comes back from work tonight and get back to you.

Anan Anwar?

[toptuan]

... that pansy-assed, pip-squeak Thai boy...

I take it you didn't like him?

[up-country_sinclair]

It could be my imagination, but it seems to be increasing of late.

Edited May 8, 2010 by up-country_sinclair

[kurnell]

I can also think of a few Thai songs that have stolen tunes from other artists. In particular that pansy-assed, pip-squeak Thai boy that had a few hit singles about 6-7 years ago where he would dance seductively with sexy Thai women. No idea of his name, but I am sure someone on this forum remembers. I will ask my wife when she comes back from work tonight and get back to you.

Anan Anwar?

Yes!!! He has the sort of face that you would want to hit. Several times.

[rixalex]

I can also think of a few Thai songs that have stolen tunes from other artists. In particular that pansy-assed, pip-squeak Thai boy that had a few hit singles about 6-7 years ago where he would dance seductively with sexy Thai women. No idea of his name, but I am sure someone on this forum remembers. I will ask my wife when she comes back from work tonight and get back to you.

Anan Anwar?

Yes!!! He has the sort of face that you would want to hit. Several times.

You'll be pleased to hear authorities did finally catch up with him and sentenced him for what he inflicted on us all.

[SiangDeeMahk]

.....so they can expropriate a ready-made melody they don't have the creativeness to replace on their own.

It's not lack of creativeness. I've seen Thais do amazingly creative things, and come up with really stellar solutions to problems; WHEN THEY HAD TO (especially when it's the only option, as in up in rural areas where there's not much to work with in the first place).

In fact, I think that's what makes this theft of property so patently offensive; The well-connected (and rich) Thais that produce TV shows in Thailand TOTALLY have the ability to make their own music scores. Or (as another poster mentioned), to certainly purchase a royalty-free music library.

I believe that the basic problem going on here with the Thai piracy of copyrighted material at higher, even corporate levels (and quite frankly, a LOT of other things that have run amuck in the LOS), is 10% ignorance, 40% LAZINESS, and 50% arrogance.

Ignorance, due to a lack of education, and global awareness that this intellectual property doesn't belong to them.

Laziness, quite common in people that have been indoctrinated to do the barest minimum possible (ie: nearly non-existent work ethic).

Arrogance, borne of the Hi-So Thai/Chinese (zenophobically fueled) opinion that they're better than westerners, and a feeling of impunity (via massive systemic corruption) that they'll never get strung up for this crime.

And YES, I'm venting and bashing; I tend to bash, when I observe crimes of theft being shamlessly and blatantly committed. Especially needless ones, simply due to laziness and corruption. Some of the music I've heard being stolen belongs to people that I actually know, personally. So I take it all rather personally.

(necessary apologies to hard-working Thais, who don't steal)

[kurnell]

I can also think of a few Thai songs that have stolen tunes from other artists. In particular that pansy-assed, pip-squeak Thai boy that had a few hit singles about 6-7 years ago where he would dance seductively with sexy Thai women. No idea of his name, but I am sure someone on this forum remembers. I will ask my wife when she comes back from work tonight and get back to you.

Anan Anwar?

Yes!!! He has the sort of face that you would want to hit. Several times.

You'll be pleased to hear authorities did finally catch up with him and sentenced him for what he inflicted on us all.

He was arrested for being a mincing wanke_r?

[rixalex]

Anan Anwar?

Yes!!! He has the sort of face that you would want to hit. Several times.

You'll be pleased to hear authorities did finally catch up with him and sentenced him for what he inflicted on us all.

He was arrested for being a mincing wanke_r?

Indeed. Harsh but fair i feel.

[kurnell]

Yes!!! He has the sort of face that you would want to hit. Several times.

You'll be pleased to hear authorities did finally catch up with him and sentenced him for what he inflicted on us all.

He was arrested for being a mincing wanke_r?

Indeed. Harsh but fair i feel.

Sometimes there is justice in life.

[rixalex]

Sometimes there is justice in life.

Quite, and it serves to send out a warning to any other wannabe mincing wanke_rs out there.

[madmitch]

They always use their own music during the light hearted moments of the soap, you know, that awful plinky organ sound. I think it's to make the audience realise that they are supposed to laugh at this part of the show.

I have also noticed a couple of commercials with music very similar to and almost certainly plagiarised from Western Rock/Pop Music. Deep Purple's 'Black Night' and Booker T and the MGs 'Green Onions' are two I have noticed.

I also have heard The Simpson's theme, went downstairs expecting to see the cartoon only to find it was a Thai soap.

[toptuan]

They always use their own music during the light hearted moments of the soap, you know, that awful plinky organ sound. I think it's to make the audience realise that they are supposed to laugh at this part of the show.

Then there's the awful "BOING" and backwards-whistle sounds, but we have whole threads dedicated to that deep subject already.

[mca]

I recall when I was a teen 2 of the first porno movies I ever saw featured the theme songs from "Grange Hill" and "This Is Your Life."

Rather off putting as I remember it.

[SiangDeeMahk]

I recall when I was a teen 2 of the first porno movies I ever saw featured the theme songs from "Grange Hill" and "This Is Your Life."

Rather off putting as I remember it.

errr... (pausing to chose the right words)

It's not impossible that they did actually pay to use those songs (albeit not likely), but much more to the point; Were they Thai pornos? (Pornography is illegal in Thailand), because if they weren't Thai, then your post is a bit

Especially because the thread is about how surprised (and dismayed) I am (and apparently, others are too) that well established, publicly broadcast (and corporately funded) THAI Television productions blatantly use western soundtracks (almost certainly without permission to use them, which is THEFT).

The fact that a low-life porno producer (anywhere) would steal music, is frankly not that surprising.

[rixalex]

I recall when I was a teen 2 of the first porno movies I ever saw featured the theme songs from "Grange Hill" and "This Is Your Life."

Rather off putting as I remember it.

The fact that a low-life porno producer (anywhere) would steal music, is frankly not that surprising.

Indeed. Only thing that is surprising is that a young lad could be put off his stroke because of it.

[01322521959]

Not exactly pirated, but I wince at Christmas music or Western childrens' nursery rhyme tunes sometimes being inserted into Thai TV programming or commercials at the most inappropriate or incongruous moments. It's like they're counting on the Thai audience's ignorance of the words to the melodies, so they can expropriate a ready-made melody they don't have the creativeness to replace on their own.

Once I went to a Buddhist couple's wedding, and they decided on the opening music to "Yesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" to get the ceremony going: A Christian hymn which extols the virtues and attributes of Jesus Christ over all other "gods" and human joys. (I felt like bursting out into song--Thai translation, of course-- to amplify the ridiculous choice of music). Surely, out of the thousands of chants sung by Buddhist monks, they couldn't have chosen something slightly closer to their culture? Weird.

One thing fits: Form without substance.

Laughed out loud at the mental picture of this!