Ready for a Good Laugh?

BANGKOK, Aug 16 (TNA) -

Thai government agencies led by the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Wednesday agreed with the country's leading department stores, to ban all sales of pirated products within department stores and concessionary areas, according to DIP deputy director-general, Banyong Limprayoonwong.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covers concessionary areas rented or permitted in areas adjoining department stores, including mall corridors and sidewalks, as well as smaller agents within department store areas.

Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana presided over the signing ceremony at the ministry among the Department of Intellectual Property, the National Police Bureau, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Ministry of Interior and the executives of department stores to join together to crack down on the sale of illegal products.

Under the agreement, the department stores will help supervise the shops and vendors inside and in front of the department stores to ensure that they would not sell products in violation of intellectual property agreements in effect, including CDs, DVDs and any other kinds of pirated products.

"If (the independent shops and vendors) are found selling the pirated products, the department stores will terminate their contracts and inform the authorities to prosecute the violators," the deputy director general said.

The Ministry of Commerce would ask for close cooperation from customs offices at border crossings to strictly prevent the influx of pirated movie VCDs and DVDs from neighbouring countries, he said.

He noted that international film producers gave a 'thumbs up' to Thailand as the authorities were successfully crack down the pirated products.

(TNA)-E003

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How many times over the years have we heard that one? It seems like every few weeks there is always going to be a major crackdown on pirated products. Good luck. That would be one way to weaken the baht, though. So many businesses would fold up that three quarters of Thailand would be unemployed.

The only places I have ever even seen in Thailand that carry legitimate DVDs is CD Warehouse in the Royal Garden shopping center and a few small outlets here and there such as the one in the Big-C on South Road (Pattaya Tai) . I have yet to see any software shops that carry only legitimate software. It's hard enough to find software shops that carry any legitimate software.

As for other pirated products, such as clothing, luggage, colognes, etc, I wish them luck with that too.