I have a series of original designs that I want to put into production as T-shirts.

I have been told that if they prove to be popular they will be pirated very quickly here in Thailand.

Does anyone have any relevant experience?

Thanks for any advice.

Go to MBK or any of the night markets and look around. You should see your answer. Rolex for 2000 baht, Gucci, Armani for 150 baht. New release movies for 30 baht.

Walk into any university or almost any school and most of the text books are zerox copies of copy-written materials.

So, the answer to your question is YES. They will copy your designs to the T and sell them for less than you can produce them for.

Go to MBK or any of the night markets and look around. You should see your answer. Rolex for 2000 baht, Gucci, Armani for 150 baht. New release movies for 30 baht.

Walk into any university or almost any school and most of the text books are zerox copies of copy-written materials.

So, the answer to your question is YES. They will copy your designs to the T and sell them for less than you can produce them for.

Thanks for the input.

It would seem to be a situation where enforcement of copyright protection is impossible.

I have no experience of it. That's why I posted.

Also show me a school or government office where a computer is running on an original Microsoft programme, you won't find one

This early May 13 ThaiVisa thread may answer the OP's question. Link

copyright is unheard of in this country

Basically it's Western World,open season on your treasured Patent/Copyright,meanwhile in Thailand? they will attempt to take you to the cleaners! if you copy their Intellectual property.And what you see every day copies on the streets? that's your problem. Mai Pen Rai,........got it now ?

Go to MBK or any of the night markets and look around. You should see your answer. Rolex for 2000 baht, Gucci, Armani for 150 baht. New release movies for 30 baht.

Walk into any university or almost any school and most of the text books are zerox copies of copy-written materials.

So, the answer to your question is YES. They will copy your designs to the T and sell them for less than you can produce them for.

Thanks for the input.

It would seem to be a situation where enforcement of copyright protection is impossible.

I have no experience of it. That's why I posted.

Unfortunely you will go bust trying to stop fly by nights copying your product,and if with your last baht,you pin them down,and they have to pay your damages,guess what ? you will get the answer, "Have no money" Sorry OP you will have better luck,catching a Moon Beam.

Concentrate on International agreed Patent laws,last I read up on it,was mainly Country by Country Patents,and not International,well that was 15 years ago,so hopefully it has now changed,so perhaps it is now more of a blanket Patent,but still subject to catching up with those that can pay for their misdeeds,and your losses.

Basically,anything from the Western World,is open to copying,no matter if it's a treasured Patent/Copyright item,even aircraft parts,and other life or death machine parts,stretching back many years,...meanwhile in Thailand? they will attempt to take you to the cleaners! if you copy their Intellectual property (which is not that much) .And what you see every day,as copies on the streets? well that's your problem (and you prove it) Mai Pen Rai,........got it now ?

copyright is unheard of in this country

Oh, it's heard of...its just given lip-service for all practical purposes except for a few days every year in a few spots when authorities decide to enforce the law so they can log some arrests and generate some news stories for other countries who have Thailand on their IP/Copyright Watch List...like what the U.S. has been doing for years with Thailand. Hard to enforce something when it's generating so much tea money for some authorities and big profits for the sellers.

Thanks for the replies.

The consensus seems to be that nothing can be done to prevent copyright infringement and the production of knock-offs.

That said, are there any measures that can be taken to lessen the scale of the problem?

Bi-lingual warning labels for instance. Wishful thinking perhaps.; but does anyone have any ideas?

In Asia copyright means: the right to copy - everything that is successful will be copied (shoes, perfume, clothes, watches everything)

As far as I know the ONLY movie Thai did not dare to copy was "The Legend of Suriyothai" - when you asked the vendors about that movie they said no - no - no

Thanks for the replies.

The consensus seems to be that nothing can be done to prevent copyright infringement and the production of knock-offs.

That said, are there any measures that can be taken to lessen the scale of the problem?

Bi-lingual warning labels for instance. Wishful thinking perhaps.; but does anyone have any ideas?

Thai's who sell copyrighted material know it's against the law; warning labels in 10 languages wouldn't make a difference. Since there is little enforcement of the weak copyright laws in Thailand, there is little fear from folks who sell pirated/fake products.