Foreign Manufacturers Ripping Off Thai Brands

[Bluedan]

This is a really amusing story...really a case of the shoe on the other foot. Counterfitting is so blatant and widespread in Thailand and claimed efforts to stamp it out are at best token. I doubt whether any complaints being made will be taken seriosuly by the international community.

I really cant see how these and similar observations can be taken as racist. This news item presents such an irony that ofcourse many of us feel compelled to comment.

[anterian]

Every now and then TV publishes an entertaining article, this is one such

[saintofsilence]

What an insult for some one to do this To a law abiding nation such as Thailand they need to be dealt with by the full force of the Law and no different to the way it penalizes their own citizens for breach of copyright laws.

[rotary]

Red Bull is not Thai, it is Austrian. Kating Daeng is Thai.

I thought it was the same company. Kating Daeng is just a chage og english to Thai that the Thai partner made for marketing.

I bet all these firms that are bring cheated are using pirate software in their offices........

[Deeral]

one one hand, it is a sign that Thailand is a developed Nation.........

on the other hand

som nam na

[antsrule]

In Canada there is a saying "Always get the real McCoy"

Mr.McCoy was a black railway worker who invented the automatic oiler for train wheels. People all over started copying his idea but they could never match his quality. It was the railway running gear manufacturers that coined the phrase.

Work hard and stay several steps ahead of the competition. Don't get even, get better.

I bought some knock-off Calvin Klein underwear here 2 weeks ago, big mistake, next time I'll get the "real McCoy"

[Lobin]

LoL that's awesome, long may it continue. About time they got a taste of the other side of the pirate industry.

[ukfool]

An eye for an eye. How many of you use fake Windows XP?

Not me, i am with Apple

But pretty much all hardware is sold either with copy windows or most of the software.

It's not fake, but it's likely bootlegged, a difference.

Fake would imply that they 'made it themselves', and that is quite unlikely.

With an extensive knowledge of the Thai intellect, I would say extremely, nigh on impossible Thai's could make themselves. Now hats made from cut up beer cans is another matter.

[Thaddeus]

I bought some knock-off Calvin Klein underwear here 2 weeks ago, big mistake, next time I'll get the "real McCoy"

Self lubricating underwear........... Cool

[DoctorG]

A very amusing read, apart from the accusations of racism of course.

[screamingeagle]

:cheesy::cheesy:. A taste of your own medicine

[Deeral]

In Canada there is a saying "Always get the real McCoy"

Mr.McCoy was a black railway worker who invented the automatic oiler for train wheels. People all over started copying his idea but they could never match his quality. It was the railway running gear manufacturers that coined the phrase.

Work hard and stay several steps ahead of the competition. Don't get even, get better.

I bought some knock-off Calvin Klein underwear here 2 weeks ago, big mistake, next time I'll get the "real McCoy"

THere are those in Amarillo who would dispute that.

[SergeiY]

kuffki:

Also i do not know the history but i thought Red Bull was NOT a Thai company.Krating Daeng is a Thai company. Also i think locals have copied the logo.

I once exported Kraeting Daeng tshirts with their logo and ran into trouble with Red Bull Australia for copyright.

Red Bull is a original Thai product. Red bull Thai also hold more than 50% shares of this international red bull company from Austria. The Thai owner is one of the richest.

Do you get some really genuine T-Shirt from the red bull Thai company or some fakes form Khao san road where just someone printed the company logo on a T-shirt? And even thought you would have some really genuine T.shirts from the Thai red bull company, it doesn't has to mean they are 'genuine' in Australia too, you don't hold the brand rights there and if the holder of the brand rights didn't gave you a license to distribute and sell that product such grey imports can be easily declared to fake.

and how do you know about copyrights in Australia?

Well, how do you gain your knowledge? Dreams? Fantasies? Some bloke in a bar told you?

Just to put things into a more equal perspective. Reference the TV topic concerning Thai patents/inventions and you may have a feel for for how "typical Thai" this original topic is. When you have been caught with your hand in the cookie jar so many times and then you complain when someone gets some of the crumbs, yes it can be laughable. when you have policed your own garden, then you may have time to look around at others

What it has to do with the silly question how do i know about copyrights in Australia?

As for kids and cookies, yes some kids maybe are more often at the cookie jar than others. But that doesn't mean that all kids are criminal cookie thieves in generals and a kid has no right to complain when their own cookies get stolen by someone else.

Is that so difficult to understand? You cannot blame one person or company for the wrongdoings of another person or company just based on the fact that their share the same nationality. If you do that you just come up with stupid stereotypes.

If you don't get this point you cannot be very intelligent and have probably a little arrogant mindset that looks down on others based on their nationality. And that is called xenophobia or racism.

[mark2552]

That is great news!!!!!!!! couldn't happen to such a nicer bunch of people... Lets hope it continues "turn about is fair play" they say.

[jimbeam1]

Hi,

All of this can be pretty well be summed up in two words Coke a Cola

jb1

[TAWP]

I don't care about the trademark complaint since Trademark and Copyright laws are anti-competition and anti-free market. I do however care if one company tries to pretend to be another company/making a product from another company, as this is consumer fraud. And they can and should be sued by consumers and consumer protection agencies if the fraud is carried out.

[siamjimi]

Could this be karma?

Why would it be karma? Care to explain?

I think what he/she means is that what goes around comes around. Thais have been pirating things for years and now something of thier own is being pirated. Go to any market and you can buy Guchi for 100 baht or any of the latest DVD's even before they have been released.

Well, they do something about and law enforcement working to reduce it.

Except you are some xenophobe racist who stereotype all Thais and blame all for what a few have done there is no reason to say any Thai patent/copyright holder has lost his right to complain because of the other pirates.

People make such silly and thoughtless comments will telling for sure here other stories how and unwelcome foreigners are or that they are always get ripped off. But that is probably only a karma like payback for this ugly mindset.

All this CDs - everyone know that is a copy, but when it comes to food products like drinks and and seasoning products fake products bearing a much greater risk like the health of the costumer.

Honestly SergeiY - from what you’re saying you must be living some place other than Thailand - don't talk about things you cannot understand.

Everything you touch in Thailand has been reproduced and copied - even drinking alcohol - most dangerous to poison the common man. Food product copying is rampant in Thailand - copied in Thailand - shipped overseas FROM THAILAND - copying the big manufacturers. What’s important is “IF” you live in Thailand and you reach to buy something from the local market or big department stores is that you may be reaching for a copied product as well. This should be what concerns everyone the most.

Most of the posts here address the fact that Thailand copies everything from other countries but when one of their brands is copied its hits the news headlines in minutes. Do you produce anything worth being copied ?? – I presume not or you would not make the statements you have.

Maybe its time to get real about the world around you and stop calling others racist for general remarks. Maybe you are a member of “ANOTHER” race and like to use the racial card in all your general comments ? - is that a stereotype enough for you to understand – people who make comments like you are the real racists.

We “farangs” are stereotyped each and everyday by our Thai counterparts – did you mention that ? NO!!! - This is the real world and some people need to start living in it - or NOT make comments about subjects they do not understand fully or have not given the proper amount of thought before commenting about them.

[jonclark]

While we are all on the subject - Apart from Rice and Red Bull, does Thailand have any other brands worth copying??

Counterfeit Chang perhaps?

[TAWP]

What siamjimi mentions is something that is 'known' - in several clubs in BKK and other locations, they serve counterfeit-alcohol, i.e. expensive bottles and cheap content replaced into it. Some clubs around RCA has been pointed out by several different Thai friends for instance...

[renaissanc]

Now I would like to see western governments applying the same land ownership, visa, and citizenship rules for Thais that we have to put up with in Thailand. "Oh! Aren't they awful! Look how badly they are treating us poor Thai citizens!"

[wimster]

it's Krating Daeng, and it's owner actually is a 50% owner in the international Red Bull in Austria.

Red Bull is not Thai, it is Austrian. Kating Daeng is Thai.

[Kissmehoney]

What goes around comes around. I have no sympathy for Thais. They have copied everything. Many things I have bought in Thailand were fake. They should clean up there own back yard before complaining.

[Misterwhisper]

Now isn't that poetic justice? There we have Thais blatantly pirating branded goods from around the globe on an ever increasing scale and when similar things happen to their own products, they cry "foul"? On the other hand, shouldn't they be proud that some of their brands are even worth pirating? Whatever one may think about the issue, in the end it is a clear case of the kettle calling the pot black.

[harsh4]

Could this be karma?

Pretty ironic "Som nam na" really...:-) Funny to see thai brands scrambling for protection and crying foul now while for decades there has been no concept of copyright violation when foregin brands and ideas are blatantly copied with no regard to the overseas original manufaturer....what goes around comes around...oh well...

[SergeiY]

Honestly SergeiY - from what you’re saying you must be living some place other than Thailand - don't talk about things you cannot understand.

Everything you touch in Thailand has been reproduced and copied - even drinking alcohol - most dangerous to poison the common man. Food product copying is rampant in Thailand - copied in Thailand - shipped overseas FROM THAILAND - copying the big manufacturers. What’s important is “IF” you live in Thailand and you reach to buy something from the local market or big department stores is that you may be reaching for a copied product as well. This should be what concerns everyone the most.

Most of the posts here address the fact that Thailand copies everything from other countries but when one of their brands is copied its hits the news headlines in minutes. Do you produce anything worth being copied ?? – I presume not or you would not make the statements you have.

Maybe its time to get real about the world around you and stop calling others racist for general remarks. Maybe you are a member of “ANOTHER” race and like to use the racial card in all your general comments ? - is that a stereotype enough for you to understand – people who make comments like you are the real racists.

We “farangs” are stereotyped each and everyday by our Thai counterparts – did you mention that ? NO!!! - This is the real world and some people need to start living in it - or NOT make comments about subjects they do not understand fully or have not given the proper amount of thought before commenting about them.

siamjimi, listen:

You cannot blame one person or company for the wrongdoings of another person or company just based on the fact that their share the same nationality. If you do that you just come up with stupid stereotypes.

If you don't get this point you cannot be very intelligent and have probably a little arrogant mindset that looks down on others based on their nationality. And that is called xenophobia or racism.

[dominique355]

I don't care about the trademark complaint since Trademark and Copyright laws are anti-competition and anti-free market. I do however care if one company tries to pretend to be another company/making a product from another company, as this is consumer fraud. And they can and should be sued by consumers and consumer protection agencies if the fraud is carried out.

Trademarks are here precisely to protect the consumer from frauds - provided the trademark rights an the laws are enforced (which is the big problem in Thailand), because a trademark is sort of a guarantee that the product bearing this trademark comes from the original manufacturer, who owns the trademark.

A competitor, who wants to sell a similar product must use a different trademark, a trademark which cannot be confused with the older trademark.

So if you want competition and a free market, you need trademarks to distinguish products and to protect the consumer.

Copyright is something different. Basically copyright protection protects works of art.

[elcent]

I don't care about the trademark complaint since Trademark and Copyright laws are anti-competition and anti-free market. I do however care if one company tries to pretend to be another company/making a product from another company, as this is consumer fraud. And they can and should be sued by consumers and consumer protection agencies if the fraud is carried out.

good thoughts! congrats!

[Arkady]

Red Bull is not Thai, it is Austrian. Kating Daeng is Thai.

The Austrian guy who was originally a supplier of packaging to Krating Daeng franchised and translated it in the West. Chaleo, the Thai founder who cannot speak much English and had not seen the global potential for himself, has a stake in the Western business. I don't now if the Austrian franchise covers Asia or not. The Austrian guy did a brilliant job of transforming a sugar and caffeine based tonic for Thai truck drivers and labourers a trendy middle class drink in the West. It is still the same unhealthy garbage inside the bottle, although it is unbelievably bought by fitness freaks in the West, some of whom have dropped dead after drinking several cans of the gunk following an exercise session.

The hilarious Thai reaction to their own brands being ripped off abroad is like the early days of the US which used to systematically pirate books from the former colonial power and then suddenly realized that their own American authors were building up a substantial body of internationally desirable product that needed copyright protection. Now the US is the global enforcer of copyright protection. What goes around comes around.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Arkady

[Maverell]

LOL - same as everything - Thais can do as they please no one else can

[TehBen]

From Wikipedia, for those that can't be bothered to look.

"The company was co-founded by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur who had the idea to introduce the drink to, and market it in Europe. Mateschitz was international marketing director for Blendax, a German toothpaste company, when he visited Thailand in 1982 and discovered that Krating Daeng (literally "red bull"), a Thai energy drink, helped to cure his jet lag.^[2] Between 1984 and 1987, Mateschitz worked with TC Pharmaceutical (a Blendax licensee) to adapt Krating Daeng for European consumers. At the same time Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya, the owner of Krating Daeng, founded Red Bull GmbH; each investing $500,000 of savings and taking a 49% stake in the new company. They gave the remaining 2% to Chaleo's son Chalerm, but it was agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.^[3] That left the Thais as silent partners. Red Bull GmbH launched the “Austrian” version of Red Bull in 1987, which is carbonated and not as sweet as the original Thai recipe. It is the Austrian formula that has taken almost half of the U.S. market for energy drinks, and up to 80% of the market in some other countries.

In 2006, Forbes Magazine listed Chaleo as being the 292nd richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of over $2.5 billion^[4] while Mateschitz was listed at number 317.

^[/url]

As for the news story, well, must be a slow news day as this is complete rubbish. As others have said, som nam naa, pot and kettle..blah blah blah.