B2m bounty offered for CD pirates

PHUKET: The government has offered a 2-million-baht reward for information leading to the seizure of mass CD-copying machines in Phuket, Oratai Thanajaro, Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Commerce, announced yesterday. Speaking at Kathu Police Station, K. Oratai said, “The Department of Intellectual Property and officers from Bangkok Metropolitan Police have been told that there is a big illegal CD-copying facility somewhere in Phuket, with factory-style CD-copying machines.” She said that government will pay a 1-million-baht reward for information leading to the seizure of a mass CD-copying machine, and double if the tip-off leads to the seizure of two or more such machines. She also announced a bounty of three baht per CD on leads that result in the arrest of people selling pirated CDs, up to a maximum reward per tip-off of 2 million baht. The bounties offered follow the seizure of 136,335 CDs, with a street value of more than 13 million baht, and the arrest of three people in a 3 am raid in Patong yesterday morning. At a public meeting with Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi and representatives of companies affected by piracy, K. Oratai explained that fake goods with a street value of 22,800,000 baht were seized in raids on vendors in Patong, Kata, Karon and Phuket Town between June 14 and 19. A total of 5,802 purses, 800 watches and 30,000 CDs were seized in the past week. “People selling pirate or smuggled goods are coming to Phuket because of the big market here and because of [the success of] the crackdown on piracy in Bangkok,” she said. Those wanting to give the authorities tip-offs should call the Department of Intellectual Property at Tel: 02-5474703, K. Oratai said.