PHUSADEE ARUNMAS
Bangkok Post
The government intends to clarify improvements in suppressing intellectual property (IP) violations for US officials during talks next week.
Puangrat Asvapisit, director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, said it was not fair for Washington to downgrade Thailand to its Priority Watch List (PWL) due to failure to suppress IP violations.
''As a matter of fact, the number of arrests improved notably last year,'' Mrs Puangrat said yesterday.
Police brought 9,575 cases of IP violations to court last year, up 25% from 7,689 cases in 2005. More than 2.8 million counterfeit items were seized, up 24% from 2.26 million items confiscated a year earlier.
What does "brought to court" mean?
In terms of value, she said IP violations in Thailand last year caused US trademark and copyright owners US$219 million in damage, much less than the $2.2 billion in China and $1.5 billion in Mexico.
The US also kept Indonesia on the Watch List, one step below the PWL, even though its IP problems are similar to those of Thailand and caused about $205 million in damage to US property last year.
When you take in consideration the size in population, Thailand is just as bad.
Officials will highlight this information in talks with the US Intellectual Property Office on May 11.
''We will signal our disappointment over its determination to create negative sentiment among Thais against the US,'' Mrs Puangrat said.
You got to be kidding. Thais steal from Americans, and Puangrat worries about "negative sentiment among Thais against the US."
A working group representing various government agencies would be formed to solve IP problems, she said. It will speed up revisions to the Copyright Law with an aim to put Thailand back on the Watch List next year.
I want to point out three things about this story.
1. The Bangkok Post spins this US/Thai spat as if Thailand is the victim when Thailand has been clearly ripping off US IP for decades. Anybody who has been to Panthip, Fortune IT City, and other malls knows the truth. Anybody who walks down any major city street in Bangkok with street stalls that sells DVDs, software, Playstation 2 games, brand names clothes, etc knows the truth. The truth is there is no enforcement of the law.
2. The Bangkok Post really thinks the US should accept the Thai government's word that it is doing its best. These editors at the Bangkok Post are shameless liars. They know that the Thai government has really done next to nothing to enforce the IP laws.
3. In order to distract from Thailand's culpability, the Bangkok Post says that because other countries break the law, it is OK for Thailand to break the law, as if what Thailand does has anything to do with what other countries do on their own accord. Thailand needs to worry about its own crimes rather than worry about what other countries are doing.
1 comment:
''We will signal our disappointment over its determination to create negative sentiment among Thais against the US,'' Mrs Puangrat said.
You got to be kidding. Thais steal from Americans, and Puangrat worries about "negative sentiment among Thais against the US."
because Thais believe they should be able to do whatever they want and every other country has to accommodate them. On grounds of their inherent superiority.
I am still laughing at the Nation journo who printed that You-Tube should be obliged to adhere to Thai laws.
Be funny if tweren't so tragic.
Carter
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