Copyright crackdown urged
PHUKET: Representatives from national copyright and trademark enforcement agencies this morning met with more than 30 police officers from Police Region 8 today, including Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha, to encourage the officers to crack down on intellectual property infringements.
Phuket, Koh Samui and Ao Nang were specifically targeted because of their high number of foreign visitors, whose tourists dollars fuel the trade in counterfeit goods.
According to Sutthisak Prasatkrarukarn, Secretary of Prevention and Suppression of Intellectual Property Infringement Committee, one major problem is counterfeit entertainment licenses purchased by the karaoke shops.
According to K. Sutthisak, also the Director of the Laws and Suppression Department of the Thai Copyright Collection of Thai music industry giant RS Promotion, organized crime groups are making 3 million to 5 million baht per month using this scheme.
Cable television was also listed as an infringer for playing unlicensed movies. While commending the overall work of Police Region 8, K. Sutthisak urged police to step up the pressure on copyright violators.
Media coverage of arrests made for sale of counterfeit goods and the destruction of seized items set a good example for the entire region, he said.
Last year Phuket Provincial Police reported 220 cases of copyright infringement, with arrested 208 arrests. Although Phuket is by far the smallest province in Police Region 8, which covers the entire Upper South, the figures account for about half of the cases (443) and arrests (416) reported in the region.
