Intellectual Property Crackdown Underway In Phuket

[webfact]

IP crackdown underway in Phuket

Officers count thousands of seized discs at Phuket City Police Station last night.

An officer shows one of the 30,000 items seized during a raid at the OTOP Market in Patong on Friday afternoon.

PHUKET: -- A Crime Suppression Division (CSD) intellectual property rights unit from Bangkok is leading local police in crackdowns on intellectual property (IP) violators in Phuket this weekend.

Officers at Phuket City Police Station last night were busy counting up a large haul of counterfeit CDs, DVDs and music videos seized in a raid on four stalls at the Phuket Variety weekend market on Wirat Hongyok Rd in Wichit earlier that day.

The raids were led by Pol Maj Krit Wongwit, deputy superintendent of the CSD’s IP division, and Phuket City Police deputy superintendent Lt Col Chaiwat Auykham.

Among the seized discs were hardcore pornographic DVDs 'starring' both Thai and international performers as well as DVDs of popular Thai and international films, including some currently being shown in local cinemas.

Eight people were arrested and will be charged with the sale of goods in violation of the Motion Picture Video Copyright Act of 2008, receiving the benefits derived from such sales, and violating Section 271 of the Criminal Code that prohibits the sale of counterfeit goods using deceitful means to trick consumers into believing they are genuine.

Among those arrested was 28-year-old Kathu resident Pissanupong Lao-dee, 28, who admitted to operating all four stalls.

The raid followed numerous complaints about copyright infringement at the market, which has emerged as the island’s premier weekend market in recent years following the decline of the old weekend market on Phang Nga Road.

In addition to scores of illegally produced discs, police also seized a variety of electronic equipment used to promote them.

The raid followed a similar action at 1:30pm on Friday at the OTOP market on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd in Patong.

Some 30,000 items of counterfeit apparel and other items, valued at about 15 million baht, were seized.

CSD Acting Commander Sutthisarn Pakdee-naruenart held a press conference at Kathu Police Station at about 5pm the same day to announce the raid, which was prompted by complaints from the Bangkok-based Hardy Right LC Company and the other 11 companies licensed to sell internationally branded goods in the Kingdom.

All 21 of those arrested confessed to selling pirated goods in violation of copyright law at the market.

The latest raids followed a crackdown order issued by Commerce Ministry deputy director Alongkorn Ponlaboot in the run-up to a meeting tomorrow with US trade officials, he said.

Thailand is still ranked in the Priority Watch List according to section 301 of the US Trade Act.

Failure to get off the dreaded Priority Watch List puts Thai exporters at risk of having to pay higher import duties for products entering the US, one of its major trading partners.

If no action is taken on the sale of counterfeit goods in the Kingom, Thailand will lose out, Mr Suttisarn said.

Describing Kathu as a “red zone” in the war against piracy, he said Patong and some other areas in Phuket will remain under close scrutiny.

Various resort islands off the coast of Surat Thani and locations in Songkhla province will also face crackdowns, he added.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-07-11

[Oberkommando]

Tea money must be drying up as there's no tourists.

There will be even less tourists if they know they can't come to Thailand and stock up on fake junk, because when shopping everything else is either more expensive than their home country or just not available.

[Jimi007]

Failure to get off the dreaded Priority Watch List puts Thai exporters at risk of having to pay higher import duties for products entering the US, one of its major trading partners.

So why are many, if not most products from the USA subject to 100% duty when imported to Thailand? And off subject; why can Thai citizens have dual citizen in the USA, but a US citizen would have to give up their US citizenship to get Thai citizenship. Why should Thailand get favored treatment when it isn't reciprocal and copy everything they can from everyone? This is just another dog and pony show put on by the BIB from Bangkok. Kathu or Phuket police would never do this "crackdown" on their own. Is crackdown the favorite word of all the english language Thai papers or what?

[Thailand]

4 stalls were hit all operated by the same person.

Guess the tea money did not arrive on time.

[surayu]

30.000 items, wow, it's "bonus" time again for them and i guess the smile on his face can easily let you guess the same thing.....fake/illegal materials are for sale in probably every local street market of the country, let alone the street of the capital or all the other major touristic areas were there is really an exacerbation of them, in a very clear sight of every potential buyer/lookers....why in light of these mafia operations the local street markets don't just give them a good bite like they did in Pat-Pong not so long ago? where is the name's list of all those low and high rank BiB controlling one of the main venue(Pantip) distributing fake/illegal material gone? TiT

[theoldgit]

I did notice that there were very few dvd's on sale in MBK when I went there last week.

[ozzieman05]

My friend visited Panthrip today

and was told buisness as usual, just done behind the closed door that has been set up

[BSJ]

There isn't a lot to be saved by buying your trendy T's in LOS. I can go to the factory outlets here and the price is only a dollar or 2 more......

[kuffki]

wOW, Lets seize the goods, while tuk tuk mafia is free to extort and do whatever else they like.

Job well done! very productive and in the best interest of the people and visitors

[Robby nz]

Didnt know any intellectuals owned property in Phuket

[basjke]

An officer shows one of the 30,000 items seized during a raid at the OTOP Market in Patong on Friday afternoon

One Tambon One Plagiarism

[frankman]

4 stalls were hit all operated by the same person.  

Guess the tea money did not arrive on time.

Love it!

Isn't it great,

to live here,

where everything can be bought!?! 

[frankman]

wOW, Lets seize the goods, while tuk tuk mafia is free to extort and do whatever else they like.

Job well done! very productive and in the best interest of the people and visitors

Well,

if there aren't any tourists left,

let's go for our own people.

And if we finished with them,

and there is NOBODY left, 

well well well, 

guess we go after the tea money collecter. 

It's called shooting in your own foot. 

[pompoiman]

mikes shopping mall in pattaya is stuffed with fake gear, if they had the power (the police) the whole place would be closed down, the problem is they own IT, or the owner is a big BIG BOY IN BROWN

[anotheruser]

The cop in the pic looks like Christmas came early this year. I can't tell but is that not a cheap knock off watch on his wrist as well?

[Beetlejuice]

I think what this means is that the sellers were passing off these counterfeit goods as the real thing and not as fakes letting the customers know they are not the real business.

[sirchai]

I think what this means is that the sellers were passing off these counterfeit goods as the real thing and not as fakes letting the customers know they are not the real business.

Among the seized discs were hardcore pornographic DVDs 'starring' both Thai and international performers as well as DVDs of popular Thai and international films, including some currently being shown in local cinemas.

Can't believe that somebody would watch them.

[shiatsuman]

Didnt know any intellectuals owned property in Phuket

thats because IP is not proper english

[geriatrickid]

The joke is on the people that purchase the ripoff products. For example;

- "Billabong" shirt won't last long, if it's made from cotton not up to the manufacturer's specs.

- The perfumes and colognes, think again. How do you know if the products aren't made with banned carcinogens? It's not as if you are going to be able to sue the factory once you grow that tumour.

- Do you want to feel fat? Then for sure buy the copy shirts and pants as they shrink a size or two after a wash.

- Do you ever wonder how fleas or bed bugs or lice got into the house? Consider how these products get to market. If you only knew.

I honestly make an effort to avoid these rip off copies. It's not because I am ethical or moral. Rather I want my boxers to not fall down when I need them most, and because I don't need a shirt ripping in a meeting.The rip off clothes are so <deleted> obvious on some people because of the poor fit that you can't help laughing sometimes.

Edited July 12, 2010 by geriatrickid

[richieudon]

The joke is on the people that purchase the ripoff products. For example;

- "Billabong" shirt won't last long, if it's made from cotton not up to the manufacturer's specs.

- The perfumes and colognes, think again. How do you know if the products aren't made with banned carcinogens? It's not as if you are going to be able to sue the factory once you grow that tumour.

- Do you want to feel fat? Then for sure buy the copy shirts and pants as they shrink a size or two after a wash.

- Do you ever wonder how fleas or bed bugs or lice got into the house? Consider how these products get to market. If you only knew.

I honestly make an effort to avoid these rip off copies. It's not because I am ethical or moral. Rather I want my boxers to not fall down when I need them most, and because I don't need a shirt ripping in a meeting.The rip off clothes are so <deleted> obvious on some people because of the poor fit that you can't help laughing sometimes.

Some T's are actually really good quality. In the UK they are £90.00!!!! In MBK...180 baht. I know. I fill a bag up every time I go back... I guess all good things come to an end...

[dumball]

Just imagine , if they did a thorough job of descending on outlets selling pirated goods and so effectively closing them down , think of the millions that would become unemployed , empty shops/stores/stalls etc each and every way you look , any that survived could be looked upon as owned by moneyed persons .

Edited July 12, 2010 by dumball

[xylophone]

Now here is the rub.......the seller of the goods gets the goods confiscated and they will be punished in some way or another, or have to pay the BIB some tea money. Whereas the distributor of the goods gets off scot free, mainly because the distributor pays the police and Customs to look the other way. I know this for a fact, because I know someone who operates a business like this and pays in excess of one million baht per annum to the authorities.

So it is either for show, or as stated above, because the retailer was late with his monthly payments. However the cycle will continue because of the payments at the high level.

What a sham.

[theoldgit]

^^^

I agree, and whilst some of the goods will be symbolically destroyed, I'm sure most will find their way onto the market, for a small consideration of course.

[Thongkorn]

I bought a genuine Video, I had my friends come round to watch, it was transformers, not porno, half way through the video a silhouette of a lady walked across the screen selling ice creams. I have never bought one since,

[dumball]

Thongkorn' date='2010-07-12 15:45' timestamp='1278924340' post='3744231']

I bought a genuine Video, I had my friends come round to watch, it was transformers, not porno, half way through the video a silhouette of a lady walked across the screen selling ice creams. I have never bought one since,

You mean the seller did not try to charge extra for the enhancement ? Boy , you sure got of light , now you can sell it on e-bay as 'One of a kind' 555 , look on the bright side .

[jts-khorat]

The latest raids followed a crackdown order issued by Commerce Ministry deputy director Alongkorn Ponlaboot in the run-up to a meeting tomorrow with US trade officials, he said.

More alibi reactionism by the Thais; if they would be serious about it, they would have raids 365 days a year, not just in the days before such a meeting.

I cannot believe they assume in the West we are that stupid that this is not obvious to everybody.

[basjke]

I bought a genuine Video, I had my friends come round to watch, it was transformers, not porno, half way through the video a silhouette of a lady walked across the screen selling ice creams. I have never bought one since,

What,ice cream?

[geriatrickid]

Some T's are actually really good quality. In the UK they are £90.00!!!! In MBK...180 baht. I know. I fill a bag up every time I go back... I guess all good things come to an end...

The higher quality stock is usually not A copy but IS stock "over-runs", or unauthorized production runs, and seconds. Many garment contractors will run off surplus goods for the secondary market. It's the same quality as the "genuine" product, and is basically a theft of trade dress or coyright, or other intellectual capital. Some products are indeed priced cheaper for the local market. It's a reflection of the removal of shipping and repacking costs, duty and middleman expense. And of course, the 50-100% mark up of most western retailers.

The issue isn't so much the clothing, or even DVDs as they are non lethal. Thailand has a serious problem with counterfeit drugs. Viagra and Cialis are the leading bogus products. It is alleged that in excess of 50% of the small pharmacies stock the fake products. These are the pharmacies that will dispense without a script. A major pharmacy chain in Thailand will stick to legitimate products.

Read the product monographs closely. If you see spelling errors or a poor quality copy, that's a tip off. Contact the drug manufacturer and provide the package tracking data.

.