Severe Penalties For Copyright Violations In Works: Thailand

[webfact]

COPYRIGHT

Severe penalties for copyright violations in works

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As a serious attempt to crack down on copycat goods, the Commerce Ministry aims to increase the penalties, through both imprisonment and fines, for traders in illegal products.

The amendment to the Copyright Act will allow fines for illegal goods on an item-by-item basis instead of the current fines of between Bt100,000 and Bt600,000. Those convicted could also face jail terms of between six months and four years. In addition, the imprisonment will not wait for suspending jail anymore.

The move is aimed at eliminating the trade in counterfeit products. The Intellectual Property Department will propose the amendment to the Cabinet soon, Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol said yesterday.

"The government needs to launch stringent punishments under the Copyright Act so that illegal traders will be afraid to sell the fake goods," he said.

Moreover, the ministry targets reducing infringements of IP rights by 80 per cent this year compared with the 2003 figure.

Pajchima Tanasanti, director-general of the department, said piracy should diminish as the government has serious attempted to crack down on violations.

A special task force of the Royal Thai Police for suppressing IP violations was set up recently. The team on Wednesday (April 11) immediately Yesterday it arrested several illegal-goods traders at MBK Center and in Pratunam, seizing 10,000 items.

Pajchima said this special team would regularly inspect places that have been reported for selling illegal goods.

In addition, after many years of attempting to reduce infringements, the department will soon upgrade Panthip Plaza and Sukhumvit Road from being categorised as red zones for having |a high rate of IP violations to yellow zone. These two areas are now highly developed, as landlords have been encouraged to allow only sales of legal goods.

The Royal Thai Police, the Department of Special Investigation, and the Customs Department reported that 10,453 cases involving IP infringements were dealt with and about 4.86 million illegal products were seized last year.

The fight against piracy is region-wide. To increase awareness and crack down on IP violation, Thailand and the other nine Asean members have jointly drafted a four-year plan to impose IP-enforcement measures from this year to 2015.

Under the plan, it will establish an Asean IPR Enforcement Coordination Centre.

-- The Nation 2012-04-12

[noitom]

The conspicuous absence of the arrest and convictions of any Mr. Bigs ever gives rise to the notion that either the newspaper is inept in not investigating to the source or the law is on the take or more likely both. Copyright and piracy violations are rampant and flagrant throughout Thailand. The powers to be really don't want to solve the problem, but rather pamper and patronize countries like the US into believing that they are taking action. Thai smoke and mirrors at work here.

[draftvader]

I laughed so hard that some wee came out!

[Thai at Heart]

Panthip Plaza and Sukhumvit Road from being categorised as red zones for having |a high rate of IP violations to yellow zone. These two areas are now highly developed, as landlords have been encouraged to allow only sales of legal goods.

I spat coffee over my computer.

[yummypizza]

The land of copyright violations,s cracking down on copyright violation....lol

[VanHelsing]

Is april fools joke a month-long activity?!

[MEL1]

"about 4.86 million illegal products were seized last year"

IF there was a start made in places like Aranya Prathet market, where police condone copyright infringement sales for tea-money, then I'm sure 4.86 million illegal products would be stopped each fortnight!!!

How's about that then, Pajchima??

-mel.

[MEL1]

"Thailand and the other nine Asean members have jointly drafted a four-year plan to impose IP-enforcement measures from this year to 2015.

Under the plan, it will establish an Asean IPR Enforcement Coordination Centre"

-------------------

We shall all enforce our tea-money intakes, shared equally between our counterfeit goods manufacturers and ourselves, and enforce fair distribution from border to border at equal rates. This will be coordinated from our IPR (I'm Personally Rich) enforcement centre, to ensure ASEAN equality in copyright violations, and by the way, sod the west! Adidaz shoes, inverted Nike swoosh, Reebouk shoes are not infringements, but just look similar to something people think of. Chanel bags made of plastic are not copyright infringements, as any Hi-So knows how to smell leather, so there. We are ASEAN.

-mel.

[Soupdragon]

What about all the major electrical retailers who sell computers with no OS. They all install pirate copies of well known software at a fraction of the price of the real thing. Many can't even supply genuine software.

[yummypizza]

The same was supposed to have happened in Eastern Europe, twenty years on and they still haven't stopped it, if i had 10Baht from every time my songs were down loaded illegally, well, no more said....

[givenall]

I laughed so hard that some wee came out!

I guess half of MBK and most of Pantip and other places as well have to close

Where will all the tourist go

[bangkapi]

Placating Hillary Clinton, much? Rhetorically getting prepared for ASEAN union in 2015...... blah blah blah....

[sparebox2]

Most Thai home computers runs from Pantip Windows & Office.

Just raid and condo or housing estate, and Mr. Gate will get a lot richer.

[AZBill]

Laughable! Really! Notice they are increasing penalties, not enforcement! If they were serious a simple sweep of any outdoor street market anywhere in Thailand or MBK will produce enough fines to run the country and pay off all the MPs for the next 20 years! My wife just bought a nice fake designer name purse yesterday right across from Siam Paragon.

[sparebox2]

Laughable! Really! Notice they are increasing penalties, not enforcement! If they were serious a simple sweep of any outdoor street market anywhere in Thailand or MBK will produce enough fines to run the country and pay off all the MPs for the next 20 years! My wife just bought a nice fake designer name purse yesterday right across from Siam Paragon.

You sound like you are proud of her committing a crime.

[KeyserSoze01]

Laughable! Really! Notice they are increasing penalties, not enforcement! If they were serious a simple sweep of any outdoor street market anywhere in Thailand or MBK will produce enough fines to run the country and pay off all the MPs for the next 20 years! My wife just bought a nice fake designer name purse yesterday right across from Siam Paragon.

You sound like you are proud of her committing a crime.

How did she know that Louis Vutton handbags don't sell for 250 baht?

Edited April 12, 2012 by KeyserSoze01

[Crushdepth]

In addition, after many years of attempting to reduce infringements, the department will soon upgrade Panthip Plaza and Sukhumvit Road from being categorised as red zones for having |a high rate of IP violations to yellow zone. These two areas are now highly developed, as landlords have been encouraged to allow only sales of legal goods.

Cue hysterical laughter...

Edited April 12, 2012 by Crushdepth

[TAWP]

It is kinda funny, yes, but don't make the mistake to think that PTP (or, Thaksin) don't take the concept most serious, as he like his corporatist backers are trying to push through this control-measure through trade-agreements etc, such as ASEAN. It isn't a minor thing that the US always tries to push in IP 'enforcement' as absolute requirement in major agreements in the region.

It is all about control, creating consumers, reducing the number of stand-alone manufacturers and competitors.

[daninthai]

Thailand will never lose a hub.

[OzMick]

In a few days, I will shop at PP. Expect NO problems. TIT Land of Smiles, BS and corruption.

[schondie]

I wonder of the Commerce Ministry, like all the government offices I've visited, are running their PCs on pirated copies of XP with no updates installed and cracked versions of Nod32 and ACDSee?

Things need to be said to placate the foreign governments but nothing will change (Thank God).

[otherstuff1957]

I expect that all torrent and file-sharing sites will be blocked. Consequently, sales of bootleg CDs at Pantip will increase!

[Skywalker69]

Thailand will never lose a hub.

They never succided with any HUB.

[Jerrytheyoung]

In a few days, I will shop at PP. Expect NO problems. TIT Land of Smiles, BS and corruption.

Maybe they will check all the computers of TV addicts. So soon the forum will be emptied....

[geovalin]

Anyway, to be the customers of these pirates is kinda stupid and expensive. You can have the same movies / softwares on the Internet for free without the painful trip to Panthip and the fact to be invaded by CD without any label at home.

I don't incite you to make something illegal, I just tell. Well, I know that NO Thaivisa members use pirated softwares or watch movies without copyright.

[osiboy]

Laughable! Really! Notice they are increasing penalties, not enforcement! If they were serious a simple sweep of any outdoor street market anywhere in Thailand or MBK will produce enough fines to run the country and pay off all the MPs for the next 20 years! My wife just bought a nice fake designer name purse yesterday right across from Siam Paragon.

mmmmmm,....but thais dont pay fines, they choose to do a bit of birdy time which costs the Govt;,...so nigh on impossible to stop , only at ports and factory gates which are the ones that should be the first to be targeted anyway,......its always the poor man paying for the rich mans crimes !

Edited April 12, 2012 by osiboy

[djayz]

Laughable! Really! Notice they are increasing penalties, not enforcement! If they were serious a simple sweep of any outdoor street market anywhere in Thailand or MBK will produce enough fines to run the country and pay off all the MPs for the next 20 years! My wife just bought a nice fake designer name purse yesterday right across from Siam Paragon.

You sound like you are proud of her committing a crime.

It's not really a "crime", is it? It's a consumer looking for the best offer he/she can get. It's not like the Bill Gates' of this world are starving to death...

H*ll, I don't mind buying fake Polo shirts when I need one.

This will never be stamped out in Asia.

[belg]

"The government needs to launch stringent punishments under the Copyright Act so that illegal traders will be afraid to sell the fake goods," he said.

that certainly works with :

a ) drugs

b ) prostitution

c ) gambling

d ) human trafficing

e ) none of the above

don't forget, thais are rich now (6 months after election promises) so it is time to pay a real price for real (fake) goods

555

Edited April 12, 2012 by belg

[samjaidee]

Laughable! Really! Notice they are increasing penalties, not enforcement! If they were serious a simple sweep of any outdoor street market anywhere in Thailand or MBK will produce enough fines to run the country and pay off all the MPs for the next 20 years! My wife just bought a nice fake designer name purse yesterday right across from Siam Paragon.

You sound like you are proud of her committing a crime.

Selling counterfeit goods is a crime. Buying them is not.

[khunron13]

"In addition, after many years of attempting to reduce infringements, the department will soon upgrade Panthip Plaza and Sukhumvit Road from being categorised as red zones for having |a high rate of IP violations to yellow zone. These two areas are now highly developed, as landlords have been encouraged to allow only sales of legal goods."

This is beyond comical!