People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

Just one question, why are there so few places selling pirated Thai music and copies of Thai brand clothing ?

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

Just one question, why are there so few places selling pirated Thai music and copies of Thai brand clothing ?

only popular/expensive things are copied

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

That is a rather unique view.

Using that logic, the jetski mafias need to make a living, too, as do the drug dealers on Soi 0.

I can't afford a Ferrari, so I doubt I will ever get to "enjoy what upper class people can easily get," but you know, I'm OK with that.

Have you ever heard of generics. Generics are made by the same companies that make the real thing. The jet-ski mafia are breaking the law.....claiming damages made by customers....no comparison there. What do drug dealers have to do with someone selling fake items? There are companies that make knockoff sportscars.

Generics are are not copies per se. For example, you wouldn't buy a generic drug that is named the same as the original brand name, in a copy of the original packing. This would be called a 'copy' and not a generic. Again, using the generic example, if I was able to buy a sports shirt, made of the very same material as an Adidas shirt, but without the Adidas brand logo written on the shirt, and at a quarter of the original shirts prices, I would be very happy to purchase such a generic. Now, if possible, could you please explain how the 'generic' idea could be applied to movies or music ?

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

Just one question, why are there so few places selling pirated Thai music and copies of Thai brand clothing ?

only popular/expensive things are copied

LOL. Cheap <deleted> ? However, I beg to differ. Thai music is extremely popular in Thailand.

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

Just one question, why are there so few places selling pirated Thai music and copies of Thai brand clothing ?

You have obviously never been to a real local Thai market where there are always copy DVDs and CDs of Thai movies and music available. There's not exactly a big market for this in the tourist areas.

And why pirate Thai branded clothes? They are cheap enough anyway.

I love how they do that but put up "no photo" signs in their shops when they have their own designs.

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

That is a rather unique view.

Using that logic, the jetski mafias need to make a living, too, as do the drug dealers on Soi 0.

I can't afford a Ferrari, so I doubt I will ever get to "enjoy what upper class people can easily get," but you know, I'm OK with that.

Have you ever heard of generics. Generics are made by the same companies that make the real thing. The jet-ski mafia are breaking the law.....claiming damages made by customers....no comparison there. What do drug dealers have to do with someone selling fake items? There are companies that make knockoff sportscars.

Generics are are not copies per se. For example, you wouldn't buy a generic drug that is named the same as the original brand name, in a copy of the original packing. This would be called a 'copy' and not a generic. Again, using the generic example, if I was able to buy a sports shirt, made of the very same material as an Adidas shirt, but without the Adidas brand logo written on the shirt, and at a quarter of the original shirts prices, I would be very happy to purchase such a generic. Now, if possible, could you please explain how the 'generic' idea could be applied to movies or music ?

generic is a cheaper version............copies are a cheaper version.

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

Just one question, why are there so few places selling pirated Thai music and copies of Thai brand clothing ?

only popular/expensive things are copied

LOL. Cheap <deleted> ? However, I beg to differ. Thai music is extremely popular in Thailand.

extremely popular and already cheap

Generics/copies are the same thing to me. Perhaps we may have to agree to disagree on this.

Thailand needs to be congratulated on finally becoming a legitimate
hub of something …..even tho it’s illegal , they have done it

As far as Rolex, Rayband etc goes, i think the better off people buy original anyway and it's only the people who would never pay for the original products that buy the copied products, so, I have a theory that luxury goods are not so hard hit as one might presume. As for music piracy, in my opinion the music companies started digging their own grave when they thought that a cheap shitty plastic CD case (that was guaranteed to break within the first week) with a postcard inside was a decent substitute for a vinyl album cover.... I have absolutely no sympathy for them whatsoever, they've been sh*****g on us long enough.

Generics/copies are the same thing to me. Perhaps we may have to agree to disagree on this.

Surely a copy is a product using the name of an 'original' product ...... eg: fake Rolex watches....whereas a generic uses the same ingredients (usually pharmacy related) under a different name...... you get it now?

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

What a load of bull!

Lower income people can already enjoy what upper class people enjoy. For example the watches: upper class people buy a $10K Rolex to see what time it is, lower income people can buy a $20 Timex to see what time it is.

They are both able to see what time it is.

Upper class people buy a LV bag for $2K, lower income people can buy a cotton bag in a normal store for $2. They can both carry their stuff around in it.

So why do lower income people need the "real thing" with the brand name? There is no reason at all, hence there is no need for counterfeit goods.

"They are still and will always be a top brand. Show me proof that the Rolex brand has been diminished. That corporation still rakes in lots of revenue"

Its quite a accomplishment to know what profits the Rolex corporation makes since they do not report or publish their results; its a private company, and for your information, they donate a large part of their profits to charities. But I do agree that they probably make some serious profits, but what kind of argument is that for allowing fakes? What if you would be the owner of the company or you had a private business, would you also allow others to copy your stuff just because you make a profit?

"Generics/copies are the same thing to me. Perhaps we may have to agree to disagree on this."

It is not the same, since with copies it is sold/perceived "as the real deal". That can be by copying the brand name or copying the packaging.

But if you think they are the same then you should be fine taking fake medicine instead of generic ones the next time you get sick.

Glad to see Thailand at number 1 - does that mean they have won??

More garbage, usually bits of metal and plastic from China that was recycled into consumer goods made in China that breaks and falls apart quicker than you can pick up a bar girl on soi cowboy.

I don't pick up prostitutes on soi cowboy or anywhere for that matter!!

The volume of copyrighted material available on the torrent sites (I prefer kickass) is incredible. As I can transfer to my DVD player with a memory stick, who needs to buy dubious quality pirated DVDs?

They are very god quality, and offer both english and thai soundtracks. Not so on Torrent files.

Why would Thai's want god quality anything ? Buddha quality may sell better

Maybe Asia is high on the lists because Asia also makes the real stuff as well. Specifically in China

Thailand's DSI cracks down on counterfeit products

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636749-thailands-d-s-i-cracks-down-on-counterfeit-products/

'Priority watch list:

Watch List: Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

CANADA!!! Not Canada!! The most moral and upright and wonderful wholesome nation of the Western Hemisphere! Say it ain't so!

Thailand's government has no intention of fixing this problem. Every computer used by the Thai government (including Government schools and other services) uses a pirated version of Microsoft's Windows XP or Windows 7. The Thai government blatently told Microsoft in their last meeting they have no intention to purchase any licenses from Microsoft.

why buy a fake rolex ,people will know its fake because of the job you do and youl look like a cheap person with no class anyway.keep buying and look cheap,,

The volume of copyrighted material available on the torrent sites (I prefer kickass) is incredible. As I can transfer to my DVD player with a memory stick, who needs to buy dubious quality pirated DVDs?

They are very god quality, and offer both english and thai soundtracks. Not so on Torrent files.

Sorry if I'm affecting business, but there are many, many dodgy versions for sale, and you don't know until you get home. Torrent sites usualy offer a comment facility, and poor downloads are easily avoided.

BTW it seems there is no word in Thai equivalent to "refund" and "I want my money back" is a disgusting insult.

.. seems to me your using Laverda with our there approval, " is this a case of the pot calling the kettle black", just noticing not blind ..

People selling knockoffs, fakes, or copies need to make a living too. The creaters of the original products are still making boat-loads of money.

Many people can't afford to purchase the real thing.....it's okay to offer a cheaper version. Knockoffs, fakes, copies...........whatever you want to call it allow low-income people to enjoy what upper class people can easily get.

What a load of bull!

Lower income people can already enjoy what upper class people enjoy. For example the watches: upper class people buy a $10K Rolex to see what time it is, lower income people can buy a $20 Timex to see what time it is.

They are both able to see what time it is.

Upper class people buy a LV bag for $2K, lower income people can buy a cotton bag in a normal store for $2. They can both carry their stuff around in it.

So why do lower income people need the "real thing" with the brand name? There is no reason at all, hence there is no need for counterfeit goods.

"They are still and will always be a top brand. Show me proof that the Rolex brand has been diminished. That corporation still rakes in lots of revenue"

Its quite a accomplishment to know what profits the Rolex corporation makes since they do not report or publish their results; its a private company, and for your information, they donate a large part of their profits to charities. But I do agree that they probably make some serious profits, but what kind of argument is that for allowing fakes? What if you would be the owner of the company or you had a private business, would you also allow others to copy your stuff just because you make a profit?

"Generics/copies are the same thing to me. Perhaps we may have to agree to disagree on this."

It is not the same, since with copies it is sold/perceived "as the real deal". That can be by copying the brand name or copying the packaging.

But if you think they are the same then you should be fine taking fake medicine instead of generic ones the next time you get sick.

You're not serious right? You don't understand the economic division between a rich mans goods and a poor mans goods. That's the whole principle behind luxury goods. It's purely a status symbol and unfortunately we live in a world where we don't want to be perceived as the 'poor man', so people who can't afford the real deal want to at least appear to be of 'similar class'. This is a product of society, if there wasn't such a huge gap between classes, then this type of thing wouldn't exist. So there IS a reason/need for counterfeit goods, because society dictates it.

I also agree that copies don't devalue the original brand, otherwise chanel, LV bags etc would be worthless, but they aren't, hold re-sale value very well, even with copies of high quality around. So it's a mute point.

The whole argument on copies is that it takes profit away from the companies that produce the originals, which is rubbish. 99% of the people buying the copies would never buy or afford the original, so there is no loss of profit for them.

Same goes with music, DVDs etc, where they have made millions, if not 100's of millions from cinema releases and then charge ridiculous prices for a DVD/Blueray.

Drugs and products are very different things. One only gives you the appearance of having something that has some inflated value, the other can kill you. Don't compare them.

Sometimes i wonder who is ripping who off especially with bags and clothing. A LV handbag for 20,000 baht or a knock-off for 1000 baht ( I don't know the real cost ...ok) and both are almost identical from a cursory look and both will be in the bottom of the cupboard after 6 months .

Sometimes i wonder who is ripping who off especially with bags and clothing. A LV handbag for 20,000 baht or a knock-off for 1000 baht ( I don't know the real cost ...ok) and both are almost identical from a cursory look and both will be in the bottom of the cupboard after 6 months .

I doubt if the one that bought the 1,000 baht one will be in the cursory as the person buying it more than likely is not able to afford a new fake every 6 months.

The volume of copyrighted material available on the torrent sites (I prefer kickass) is incredible. As I can transfer to my DVD player with a memory stick, who needs to buy dubious quality pirated DVDs?

They are very god quality, and offer both english and thai soundtracks. Not so on Torrent files.

Sorry if I'm affecting business, but there are many, many dodgy versions for sale, and you don't know until you get home. Torrent sites usualy offer a comment facility, and poor downloads are easily avoided.

BTW it seems there is no word in Thai equivalent to "refund" and "I want my money back" is a disgusting insult.

Evidently you've never heard of การคืนเงิน

Maybe your cultural immersion in Thailand is limited to tourist areas.

I signed up to buy a condo under construction. Paid $10,000 down,

Then after 6 months the company violated the sales agreement, so

I asked to cancel and get a refund. They didn't even hesitate.

Next day, I met their man at the bank and received 386,000 baht cash

refund in a brown paper bag. I counted it and said "Thank you."

End of story.

Depends on how you conduct business. I've never had a problem --

except being cheated by taxi drivers before I learned the language.

But I've also been cheated by taxi drivers in Memphis, Honolulu and

San Francisco even though I spoke their language.

How about those copied textbooks at Thailand's top universities?Then the black and white copies of textbooks are resold to students. What does Webfact think about that? How about the Rolex and Baum Mercier ..watches sold all over Thailand? What dies Web fact think about that? Most movies sold on the street in Thailand are copied from originals and have the language setups as well. Counterfeit handbags and clothes are rampant in Thailand. Counterfeit medicine and designer colognes are abundantly available on the street Thailand is the imitation product capital of the world - blatant and visible all over, especially Bangkok. Illegal software copies and operating systems are readily and easily available at vendors and stalls inside malls all over Bangkok. What does webfact think about that?

Another important question is, what are YOU going to do other than bitch and complain?

I hope all the pirates stay afloat and keep on providing all the poor people of the world with movies and music they otherwise would not be able to afford to pay for. On the other hand, it might help the poorer people to do more READING and improve their minds since reading is still free on the internet. Except, a lot of very interesting research that is peer-reviewed is dependent upon paying to view an article or having a special library card in order to view it.

As John Waters said, "We should make reading cool again. If you go to a person's house and they don't have books, then don't F&&& them"

The greed of copy rights are the result of fake goods. Most designers have their product in the cheap producing countries to increase their profits, and never pass this saving down to the customer. Having witnessed the quality of some of the fake products; there is not a lot of difference. I have a fake tag watch, which was custom built, buy a small watch maker in Thailand; it is dive proof tried and tested; it has kept perfect time and now in it's 12th year, the only thing it needs is a battery like all watches. I know a guy who has deliveries of trainers every week from China; they sell like hot cakes. The current demand of kids wanting designer brands and the state of the global economy, no wonder there is a huge demand for fake goods. Obviously I feel sorry for the poor old designer, as he drives by in his roller on his way to his motor cruiser, and not let us for get the good old Government, they lose out big time "VAT and company tax" but wait a minute our Government's give big concessions to companies to limit their tax liabilities - so why should the public pay.

The volume of copyrighted material available on the torrent sites (I prefer kickass) is incredible. As I can transfer to my DVD player with a memory stick, who needs to buy dubious quality pirated DVDs?

They are very god quality, and offer both english and thai soundtracks. Not so on Torrent files.

Sorry if I'm affecting business, but there are many, many dodgy versions for sale, and you don't know until you get home. Torrent sites usualy offer a comment facility, and poor downloads are easily avoided.

BTW it seems there is no word in Thai equivalent to "refund" and "I want my money back" is a disgusting insult.

Evidently you've never heard of การคืนเงิน

Maybe your cultural immersion in Thailand is limited to tourist areas.

I signed up to buy a condo under construction. Paid $10,000 down,

Then after 6 months the company violated the sales agreement, so

I asked to cancel and get a refund. They didn't even hesitate.

Next day, I met their man at the bank and received 386,000 baht cash

refund in a brown paper bag. I counted it and said "Thank you."

End of story.

Depends on how you conduct business. I've never had a problem --

except being cheated by taxi drivers before I learned the language.

But I've also been cheated by taxi drivers in Memphis, Honolulu and

San Francisco even though I spoke their language.

I think it depends what you are buying. Most (non chain stores) won't give you refund ever, nor even an exchange. The larger stores will give you an exchange, but I've very rarely seen a refund being offered.

Even my thai GF who has lived here (obviously all her life) says refunds from shops are rare and more annoying to try and get then the time they are worth.

What you are talking about is a little different as you had a contract and a breach of contract. Different situations.

The idea that Rolex is somehow damaged by all the fake 500-baht Rolexes being sold is a rather

big stretch of common sense.

In my case, well beyond retirement age, I've probably owned 117 watches in my life. These

ranged in price from about $1.50 to $150.

Only one or two were fake Rolexes. But even if I had bought 50 fake Rolexes, how is that

damaging Rolex company?

Do you think for one second that I would ever pay $6,000 for a dam_n watch???

Probably 99.99% (or more) of the fake Rolex buyers would never buy a real Rolex.