Thai Authorities Destroy 600,000 Counterfeit Items Violating Intellectual Property Laws

[TAWP]

Sad to see Asian countries being forced into enacting these abusive corporatist laws that make it possible for the government to seize and burn products someone has manufactured.

Shame on the WTO, shame on the West for starting the madness and shame on You for allowing it to continue.

[craigt3365]

Sad to see Asian countries being forced into enacting these abusive corporatist laws that make it possible for the government to seize and burn products someone has manufactured.

Shame on the WTO, shame on the West for starting the madness and shame on You for allowing it to continue.

Shame on you for writing such a whacky post....are you serious?

[JetsetBkk]

Sad to see Asian countries being forced into enacting these abusive corporatist laws that make it possible for the government to seize and burn products someone has manufactured.

Shame on the WTO, shame on the West for starting the madness and shame on You for allowing it to continue.

Shame on you for writing such a whacky post....are you serious?

^

I wonder how much of the really good stuff got, er, "pre-sorted" before the "ceremony"?

[bkk_mike]

If these reported figures, and my maths, are correct, then each item would be valued at about UKP 78 each. That average seems pretty high even if the items were real.

How much is a Gucci bag in the UK? Or how much is Microsoft Office DVD? Probably a lot more than UKP 78.

My Microsoft Office DVD (Enterprise 2010 version) cost me a whopping £8 in the UK and it's legit. (Bought direct on microsoft.com)

Admittedly that price is only for home use by people whose company has a full site licence.

[TAWP]

Sad to see Asian countries being forced into enacting these abusive corporatist laws that make it possible for the government to seize and burn products someone has manufactured.

Shame on the WTO, shame on the West for starting the madness and shame on You for allowing it to continue.

Shame on you for writing such a whacky post....are you serious?

I am very much serious.

Only those in complete delusion as to how IP laws actually work (trademark, copyright and patents) - unless themselves involved in the industry and therefor have a monetary incentive to support oppressive legislation - would support the way 'big money' has managed to push monopoly laws into the books.

[craigt3365]

I am no angel when it comes to downloading content.

But I am also a former musician. I know many who struggle immensely trying to make a few bucks in the industry. Many are dirt poor and some live off the meager proceeds they get from being a studio musician on some album or for some TV show or movie.

I sure understand your issues with big business, but I also sympathize with the little guy...

I buy the software I use. Everything is legal. But movies...well...download is the norm...

I am also an ex-software guy. So know a lot the people slaving away in the back programming stuff for "big business".

[Beardog]

You know whats really amazing, You can go on Google & find any crack known to man along with even more unsavory devices posted for the masses. One wonders if piracy is a problem why none of the governments decapitate them at the knees & fine them heavily to drive the point home.But in all reality if the companies were to charge more realistic numbers the counterfeit versions would not be as lucrative & piracy would take a seat in the back instead off being front & center. The Musicians rarely get more than a pittance on royalties & the corporate exexs enjoy their sweat earnings.If Microsoft made their product for 50 bucks I don't think anyone would need a copy. It sounds to me like a Hawaiian burn for illegal marijuana . 70 tons of shwag weed burned for the feds & the cops still control the killer green bud. The feds go away somewhat happy but know this is the showboat to get rid of them...........kinda like the 50 cops here that took over the copying cd machines that got confiscated. They took up the business to augment their income & in turn got busted. They got caught so another round of individuals can take over their operations.If their isn't a payolla involved you can almost be certain the BIB gives a <deleted>.And most likely the case for all countries.

[tomyummer]

"The ceremony was witnessed by celebrities, singers, movie stars and owners of the violated brands."

Wow great. Was Bill Gates there?

Bill Gate and Malinda Gate are traveling to Africa and around US. They both have a Gate foundation helping the poor in the developing countries. Right now they are putting their 30 billion dollars to improve education in America...it would be fun to see him and his wife. They would enjoy being in Thailand and eating Thai food...

It WOULD be fun to see him and his wife come here. Come here to use that THAILAND ELITE card of theirs. I believe they were one of the first owners of that card, remember? Oh where, oh where has that little card gone?

[coolbrezz]

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK CONFISCATE MORE

[rubl]

I always wonder why they love to show of donated old cd's and watches that are destroyed. The lobby of the IFPI and Software alliances as well other luxury goods makers seem to be paying off somewhat. But what about the real counterfeiters that damage the health of society. I seldom see news items in which the authorities have raided a baby milk factory, a medicine factory or another factory copying essential items. It could be of course that Thai crime fighters think that these things happen only in China. Well most Chinese businessmen are nowadays in the Thai government so the counterfeiters are having a boon.

Don't know about baby milk, but in Thailand school milk has been a disgrace and disaster. Many seem to have skimped the milk for their profit. In August this year DPO's marketing head K. Suchart said the government allocated THB 14 billion to provide milk for 8 million kids in kindergarten/primary. One may wonder how the accounting will be done. Let's hope for (our children's) best.

(sorry to get a bit off topic)

Edited September 16, 2010 by rubl

[brahmburgers]

Some musings:

>>> essentially everyone reading this thread has pirated things on their computer, and pirated music / DVD's around their pad.

>>> Years ago, I read of an impoverished Cambodian man who was taking discarded plastic yogurt containers, melting them down, and making artificial limbs for amputees. Could that sort of recycling happen here in Thailand? ...about as likely as Thaksin becoming a singer in the Vienna Boys Choir.

>>> I create books and audio book CDs which I try selling (a few billion units less than Sting, annually), so I can relate a bit with intellectual property theft. Just one a-hole taking my audio CD, could make copies and......

>>> The Chinese make copies (probably the most prolific worldwide) and often don't have a clue of what they're doing. I bought a 2-CD set titled "Hawaiian Music" and not one of the tracks was remotely Hawaiian style. Also saw a Johnny Depp DCD collection for sale in a Burmese border town - all mentions of his name were spelled 'Deep' Incidentally, one of the booming businesses in China is making fake holograms (to assure authenticity) for items.

[JetsetBkk]

Some musings:

>>> essentially everyone reading this thread has pirated things on their computer, and pirated music / DVD's around their pad.

>>> Years ago, I read of an impoverished Cambodian man who was taking discarded plastic yogurt containers, melting them down, and making artificial limbs for amputees. Could that sort of recycling happen here in Thailand? ...about as likely as Thaksin becoming a singer in the Vienna Boys Choir.

>>> I create books and audio book CDs which I try selling (a few billion units less than Sting, annually), so I can relate a bit with intellectual property theft. Just one a-hole taking my audio CD, could make copies and......

>>> The Chinese make copies (probably the most prolific worldwide) and often don't have a clue of what they're doing. I bought a 2-CD set titled "Hawaiian Music" and not one of the tracks was remotely Hawaiian style. Also saw a Johnny Depp DCD collection for sale in a Burmese border town - all mentions of his name were spelled 'Deep' Incidentally, one of the booming businesses in China is making fake holograms (to assure authenticity) for items.

Are these your musings, brahmburgers?

Because there appears to be an inconsistency...

Just one a-hole taking my audio CD, could make copies and......

I bought a 2-CD set titled "Hawaiian Music"

[yellow1red1]

He added the government was confident that the United States will review Thailand's status, moving it from being a country on the US government's Priority Watch List (PWL) to being a country on its Watch List (WL).

Anybody know what big hairy difference it would make?

Hve they 'ever' raided and destroyed a production plant?

[Spee]

Not to mention the Africans who set out a blanket in Times Square and sell counterfeit DVDs.

Jeez, that line brought made me bust a gut. Several years ago, I was walking down Broadway between 43rd and 42nd. It was very crowded and I was in a hurry, just minding my own business and watching the crowd to make sure I wouldn't plow into anyone. Instead I trampled all over a blanket of counterfeit CD's and Foster Grants. After I heard the "crunch, crunch" and the "Hey man!!," I didn't look back and just kept on walking (faster though).

As for the OP, they would need to add three more zeros, destroyed factory lines, and many prosecutions to really start having an impact. Let's also not forget that a good bit of this pirated crap is coming from China. 600k is little more than a few days of inventory. Reminds me of the Billy's grenade scene in "Air America."