Thailand's Commerce Ministry launches public awareness programThe Thai government is cracking down on sales of illegally copiedgoods, such as movies and clothes, but its campaign has metresistance. Piracy across theAsia-Pacific region is a multi-billion-dollar business fueled by demandfor the latest and cheapest entertainment and software.
 
Deep in Bangkok's high-profile Patpong night club district, a thriving night market draws in tourists and residents alike.
 
A staple of Thailand's markets has long been cheap copies of everything from popular music to designer clothes.
 
But the government has come under increasing pressure, in particular from the United States, to curb copyright violations.

Among worst offenders: China, Russia

UnitedStates Trade Representative's office says that in the Asia-Pacificregion, China, Russia, India, Indonesia and Pakistan are the worstoffenders for intellectual copyright piracy.
 
But this year,the USTR put Thailand on its special watch list of countries failing tocurb violations. Countries that do not address the problem could faceU.S. trade sanctions.
 
The Intellectual Property Alliance saysits members lost more than $400 million in Thailand in 2007,because of sales of illegally copied business software, video games,music and movies.
 
In May, the Thai government began cracking down.
 
Oneof the first targets was Patpong. When officials seized suspectedgoods, a riot erupted as vendors fought back with sticks, bottles andstones. Several people were injured. Some vendors say soldiers wereinvolved in the raid.
 
One vendor, who asked not to be named, says most goods seized in the raid did not violate copyright laws.
 
"Policecome, he take everything," he said. "You saw, you saw in the market wehave a problem about 10 to 20 percent - 80percent no problem. But he's not police, he is soldier. He takeseverything you know, everything from my shop."

Piracy causes billions in losses
 
Sales ofillegally copied software, movies and music across the Asia-Pacificregion continue to rise. The Business Software Alliance, aninternational group, estimates software piracy alone caused losses ofover $15 billion last year in the region.
 
Many governments, however, are taking a harder line on the trade.
 
Jeffery J. Hardee is the BSA's Asia-Pacific regional director. He says there are good economic reasons for doing so.
 
"Ina place like Thailand, a 10 point drop in the piracy level could havean additional $1 billion to the gross domestic product of the country,"said Hardee. "About half of that would remain in the country and itcould create several thousand new jobs and add $55 million ofadditional tax revenues."

Government vows to continue crackdown
 
The government vows to continue thecrackdown. Raids through June targeted other well known venues sellingpirated software and entertainment.
 
Deputy Commerce MinistryAlongkorn Ponlaboot leads the effort. He dismisses vendors' complaintsthat authorities have been heavy handed, but says his agency will tryto avoid problems such as the riot in Patpong, as it builds communitysupport the crackdown. And he says the government hopes to show theUSTR that it is serious about curtailing piracy.

"Hopefully,because of the Patpong crackdown, will be the reason for us to improveour program to promote what is intellectual property, that the publicshould know," said Alongkorn. "I think we get more understanding atleast - the Commerce Ministry and USTR can say that they support ourpolicy and our seriousness of our policy implementation."

New legislation envisioned

Thegovernment is drafting new legislation on intellectual property, which,among other things, would impose tough penalties on landlords if theirtenants sell illegally copied goods.
 
But vendors are fightingback. They lodged a complaint against the government with the Thai LawSociety. The president of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, Dej-UdomKrairit, says the government acted improperly in Patpong.
 
He says that affected companies must begin legal action against vendors for violating trade marks, not the government.
 
"Youmust have the complainer to lodge the complaint - you need to bringalong those who are representatives of the interested parties - i.e.the owner of the copyright to identify which part of the good ispirated. Not send the troops to take charge, grab all those vendors orproperty without identifying the pirated one. You can't do that," saidDej-Udom.
 
The Thai government says its tactics are proper,and are important not only to meet international law, but also toprotect Thailand's entertainment industry, which also loses money topirates at home and abroad.