INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

US Embassy complained over Lady Gaga's fake Rolex tweet

BANGKOK: -- Lady Gaga's "Born This Way Ball" in Bangkok ended happily last Friday, the aftermath of her tweet about buying fake Rolex watches in Thailand has not ended.

The Commerce Ministry's Intellectual Property Department has officially expressed its disappointment on her tweet to the US Embassy.

Lady Gaga posted her tweet shortly after her private jet arrived Wednesday night last week: "I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex."

Pajchima Tanasanti, director general of the department, said the government was very disappointed with Lady Gaga's tweet during her visit last week that she wanted to shop for a fake Rolex in Bangkok, considering it offensive, insulting and creating a bad image for the country.

"Lady Gaga is a famous singer and an idol for youth and is well known by the public. She is also an owner of copyright and many intellectualproperty rights. She should take more responsibility before posting comments to the public," Pajchima said.

The singer made the comment to her 24 million Twitter followers, sparking an uproar last Thursday in Thailand. She posted that she wanted to shop for a fake Rolex in a "lady market" in Bangkok.

The department wrote to the US Embassy in Bangkok calling for her to show respect to the Kingdom. Thailand has demonstrated serious attempts to suppress IPR violations for a long time. Her post not only damaged the country's image, but also those of Thai and foreign government agencies that have tried to cooperate in suppressing IP violations, the letter said.

Moreover, it said, Thailand has worked closely with the US Trade Representative and the International Intellectual Property Alliance to suppress counterfeiting of goods here for many years.

The department was strongly concerned that the singer's behaviour would encourage other tourists to seek and shop for fake products in the country.

-- The Nation 2012-05-28

"The department was strongly concerned that the singer's behaviour would encourage other tourists to seek and shop for fake products in the country"

And the downside is????

"The department was strongly concerned that the singer's behaviour would encourage other tourists to seek and shop for fake products in the country"

And the downside is????

It's already happening but the Thai government hasn't done anything about it,... Start with Khao San Road, Panthip and Chatuchak to crack down, LOL...

The irony is: Rolex is not even Americans.

Edited May 28, 201214 yr by pakorn7

The truth allways hurts

I am sure the US Embassy is working overtime as we speak to undo the truth damage done to Thailand.

Anybody know what kind of watch Gaga wears? Any idea if she got a fake Rolex?

They are still complaining about this, why does Thailand think the world visit this country for, Of course for the cheap fake products, the world already knows about the fake products, but as other postes already said "The government does nothing about it" so why do they care, they say it hurts the countries image, sure it does, but it dont seem to get them off their butt to do anything about it, Gosh, I mean look she said things about china, and japan and their just go along with it, cause they know its true as the world alreadfy knows it too, why does Thailand have to be so hard assed about it

The irony is: Rolex is not even Americans.

The complaint is about Lady Gaga being American and bringing some disrespect to Thailand, not the country of watch origin.

Bet you that you can buy pirated Lady Gaga CDs.

This is just hilarious. Every single main road of every single tourist destination is full of copies that being a watch or a polo-shirt.

"US Embassy complained over Lady Gaga's fake Rolex tweet" - how about complaining about the appalling English in that headline?

This is just hilarious. Every single main road of every single tourist destination is full of copies that being a watch or a polo-shirt.

Is there anywhere in Thailand where you can purchase original products?

An American upsetting the status Quo in Thailand, this should not be tolerated. When she returns to the U.S Obama should put her over his knee and smack her bottom for just suggesting that there are pirated goods in Thailand. After all everyone know that this is just a myth ask any store keeper they will assure you that all thier goods are originals.

This is just hilarious. Every single main road of every single tourist destination is full of copies that being a watch or a polo-shirt.

Is there anywhere in Thailand where you can purchase original products?

There are a few places but I don't think many are sold due to their high price....a high price caused by the high import/luxury tax placed on them by the Thai govt. So, fake ones are sold instead.

When she returns to the U.S Obama should put her over his knee and smack her bottom for just suggesting that there are pirated goods in Thailand.

Pictures please !

This is just hilarious. Every single main road of every single tourist destination is full of copies that being a watch or a polo-shirt.

Is there anywhere in Thailand where you can purchase original products?

There are a few places but I don't think many are sold due to their high price....a high price caused by the high import/luxury tax placed on them by the Thai govt. So, fake ones are sold instead.

These high taxes are usually imposed to protect the local industry, which I guess in this instance is the pirating industry

Are these officials really alive ???? saying it will hurt Thailands image.... It is them that is harming Thailands image by talking Shizen, and or not stopping the sales of millions of them. I do admit you have to search hard to find a seller . All this adverse publicity is in favour of ugly Gaga, and mega company Rolex. Scams and the Bib + corrupt officials are hurting Thailands image----really we can't call them officials, as most of them are there to line their own pockets, not for giving Thailand a fresh transparent start.

What can cause a bad image more than the current government.. Get a life and sort your own backyard out first.. corrupt government and ploice,, maybe the u.s Embassy should complain about this too

When she returns to the U.S Obama should put her over his knee and smack her bottom for just suggesting that there are pirated goods in Thailand.

Pictures please !

Maybe a pirate DVD.

Well under a lot off pressure thailand did make efforts to stop the sale of pirated DVDs for a short period of time.

I wonder if they will now try to stop the sale of fake rolex's for a couple of weeks.

Who knows maybe the lady was serious and was saying it to protest the high tax on the real one's.

Bottom line no damage done to Thailand.

If they are serious about stopping tourism all they have to do is stop the sale of all fake and pirated items close up the Bordello's and stop the sale of drugs and alcohol. That may give Thailand a great reputation but definitely seriously hurt their tourism.

"The department was strongly concerned that the singer's behaviour would encourage other tourists to seek and shop for fake products in the country"

And the downside is????

It's already happening but the Thai government hasn't done anything about it,... Start with Khao San Road, Panthip and Chatuchak to crack down, LOL...

Oh hell just start on any street in the city of Bangkok.

Khun Pajchima..... FAIL!

Complaining to the USA embassy over Lady Gaga is idiotic on face value.

Besides the institutional hypocrisy you put on display for the world to observe,

you now also show your complete lack of understanding of how

UN-Paternal USA is with their pop stars.

Gaga could care less what the consulate thinks, the show is over,

what is a worry is USA press, and THIS point would make them laugh out loud.

As if a word from some pencil pushing Ministry weenie is going to phase Khunying Tingtong?

Which is a passable translation of her name and her act.

Edited May 28, 201214 yr by animatic

This article really cracked me up.

This past weekend, I was shopping at Central Airport Plaza in Chiang Mai. I was looking for a Mophie Juice Pack Plus battery case for my iPhone. The store I went to had them hanging on the rack with the other cases. The price was about 990 baht. Since the information on the box was in Thai, I asked the clerk how long the warranty was. He said 2 months. I joked with I'm and said, "2 months? Jing, jing?" He said yes, since it was the fake version is only had a two month warranty. He then showed me the real item which has a 1 year warranty. The price was also over 3000 baht. I must say that I was impressed with his honesty though I can only assume that he wasn't worried about telling me it was a fake since any enforcement for selling counterfits was unlikely.

Of course, I wasn't looking for a Rolex.

David

What can cause a bad image more than the current government.. Get a life and sort your own backyard out first.. corrupt government and ploice,, maybe the u.s Embassy should complain about this too

It was not the US Embassy who complained.

If they want some thing to complain about they should complain about their own Draconian visa laws.

yeah baby truth hearts sometimes

why does Thailand have to be so hard assed about it

Laziness which comes from the aforementioned 'not getting up off their asses' to clean the stuff up because God-knows-what-percent of the population works in the black/gray market.... Overwrought indignation's always easier.

It's like a husband who's a serial cheater & everyone knows it, but he gets real pissy when his wife calls him out on his cheating.

He does it and it's public knowledge... but somehow he's above her being able to point it out to him or anyone else.

Are these officials really alive ???? saying it will hurt Thailands image.... It is them that is harming Thailands image by talking Shizen, and or not stopping the sales of millions of them. I do admit you have to search hard to find a seller . All this adverse publicity is in favour of ugly Gaga, and mega company Rolex. Scams and the Bib + corrupt officials are hurting Thailands image----really we can't call them officials, as most of them are there to line their own pockets, not for giving Thailand a fresh transparent start.

Some of you may remember awhile back when the then chief of police said on TV that some police officers were corrupt but, that he could understand it as the salaries were very low!!

Well under a lot off pressure thailand did make efforts to stop the sale of pirated DVDs for a short period of time.

I wonder if they will now try to stop the sale of fake rolex's for a couple of weeks.

Who knows maybe the lady was serious and was saying it to protest the high tax on the real one's.

Bottom line no damage done to Thailand.

If they are serious about stopping tourism all they have to do is stop the sale of all fake and pirated items close up the Bordello's and stop the sale of drugs and alcohol. That may give Thailand a great reputation but definitely seriously hurt their tourism.

The tourism problems are other more serious matters, scams corrupt pricing at duty free, tuk tuks-taxi's-double pricing- sh#t everywhere, the plastic the canals, the dangerous roads, flight price to Samui-comes to mind-stealing thats rampant in tourist areas, THIS is the image Thailand gives---NOT fake watches-t. shirts. and the like, as these are choices easier to make. the ones I mentioned are mostly NOT choices.

What <deleted> wrote that totally misleading headline?

It READS that the US Embassy made a complaint... BUT...the truth is revealed reading the article, that a department within the Commerce Ministry complained TO the US Embassy...jeeeesus...for goodness sake CHECK the blasted material before posting it!

Check that the English is correct, and that the sense of the sentence is accurate.

In response to the actual intent of the article - I think that on this occassion, the Commerce Ministry might think a little about the current environment regarding fake products before making complaints about recognition of their availability.

In reality, there is hardly a tourist destination in Asia that does not have fake something or other available - get over it.

This article really cracked me up.

This past weekend, I was shopping at Central Airport Plaza in Chiang Mai. I was looking for a Mophie Juice Pack Plus battery case for my iPhone. The store I went to had them hanging on the rack with the other cases. The price was about 990 baht. Since the information on the box was in Thai, I asked the clerk how long the warranty was. He said 2 months. I joked with I'm and said, "2 months? Jing, jing?" He said yes, since it was the fake version is only had a two month warranty. He then showed me the real item which has a 1 year warranty. The price was also over 3000 baht. I must say that I was impressed with his honesty though I can only assume that he wasn't worried about telling me it was a fake since any enforcement for selling counterfits was unlikely.

Of course, I wasn't looking for a Rolex.

David

Pantip Plaza Chiang Mai - for the very best in fake computers and parts and programmes also, the cheapest DVD's in town - buy 10 get two free!

"US Embassy complained over Lady Gaga's fake Rolex tweet" - how about complaining about the appalling English in that headline?

Very well said. The headline is quite misleading. I was actually surprised thinking the US embassy had actually complained about something like this.