Bangkok--4 May--Hill & Knowlton
Ongoing piracy raids to crack down on counterfeit software production and distribution have resulted in the successful seizure of illegal software worth millions of baht.
Police are successfully cracking down on the sale of illegal pirated software as a way of protecting software innovators’ property rights. In just a short span of time from March 9 to March 19, authorities took action on the severe problem with several warnings and seizures of illegal software. Officers from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division of the Royal Thai Police have carried out a series of raids at locations throughout the country, confronting a range of software piracy offenders, from individuals selling counterfeit software to larger groups running commercial-scale operations, burning and producing vast quantities of counterfeit software for supply to IT stores in Thailand.
The Royal Thai Police's Economic and Cyber Crime Division (ECD) officials last year raided 210 companies believed to be using unauthorized software and found about 472 million baht worth of pirated programs installed on their computers, said Chainarong Chareonchaiyanon, ECD deputy commander. Through the ECD’s efforts, the percentage of PCs in Thailand with illegal software installed has dropped from 90% to 75%.
In March, a total of 12 businesses were found to be guilty of selling illegal software. Raided sites in Bangkok included CD shops located in multiple IT malls in Thailand. Police uncovered large quantities of counterfeit software from a variety of vendors including Microsoft, as well as laptops containing unlicensed Microsoft software.
Throughout these raids, police seized hundreds of infringed copies of Microsoft Windows Ultimate, Windows XP Professional and Office 2007 Enterprise software worth a total estimated retail value of well over 18 million baht. The unscrupulous sellers cheat consumers into thinking they’re buying genuine software. Criminal prosecution against the shop owners and sales representatives involved in the illegal transactions is expected to follow.
Somporn Maneeratanakul, Managing Director of Thai Software Enterprise Co., Ltd. says, “Piracy raids are a means of protecting IT innovations, which is important because strong protection for intellectual property encourages software engineers to create more of the useful technology that enhances the lives of Thai people every day.”
“Although the use of pirated software in Thailand is deep-rooted, we believe that this negative pattern will be broken when people realize the significance of innovation and the impact that piracy has on it. Thailand has huge potential to become a hub of innovation, but the protection of intellectual property rights is an essential step to that goal. As one of the first steps, we encourage people to recognize and buy genuine goods to help make the country piracy-free,” said Varunee Ratchatapattanakul, Spokesperson, BSA Thailand Committee. The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the world’s foremost advocate for the software industry, working in 80 countries to expand software markets and create conditions for innovation and growth. BSA’s member companies invest billions of dollars a year in local economies, good jobs, and next-generation solutions that will help people around the world be more productive, connected, and secure.”
“When software piracy is brought under control,” says Somporn, “we will have the resources to create and innovate more rapidly and at greater levels. The possibilities are endless in terms of creating more occupations, more wealth and more innovative and creative ideas to benefit our country and the rest of the world. In our current piracy-ridden state, it is evident that we spend a lot of energy and resources protecting intellectual property rather than producing it.”
The production of counterfeit software on such a large scale is a criminal offense with serious consequences. Government and IT industry research has consistently found the piracy business to be funding criminal networks across the globe. Consumers who purchase this kind of prohibited merchandise may not know that they are supporting criminal activities. It is not only important for authorities to conduct piracy raids but also to inform the public on the repercussions of piracy.
These police raids are just one part of a much larger ongoing process that the Thai government, Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) and the Royal Thai Police are employing to pro-actively deal with the issue to ensure the long-term benefits for Thai businesses and the economy. Another step of the process is to educate consumers to be wary of counterfeit products and to know the benefits of buying genuine software.
“The piracy issue in Thailand is top priority for Microsoft not only to protect the company’s copyrights but also its consumers. We urge the public to realize the real benefits of purchasing and using authentic software and to refrain from illegal copies that not only harm their PCs but also the IT industry,” said Brian Williams, Senior Regional Program Manager, Anti-Piracy & Anti-Counterfeiting Investigations, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Thailand is endeavoring to protect consumers at every step of the way, from educational efforts to alert users beforehand and helping them to avoid buying pirated software or supporting them if they have unknowingly bought illegal counterfeit software.
Microsoft’s top tips for protecting yourself include always buying from a trusted source, learning how to recognize genuine software by checking out the latest tips (now available in Thai language) at www.microsoft.com/thailand/genuine/howtotell.aspx and keeping your anti-virus software up-to-date. The free Microsoft Security Essentials download (available in Thai-language) at www.microsoft.com/security_essentials is a great place to start.
Furthermore, users who suspect they have been sold a pirated copy of Microsoft software can also contact the Microsoft Customer Contact Center by calling 02-263-6888 or visiting http://www.microsoft.com/thailand/genuine for more information.
For further information, please contact:
Suphada Chaiwong
Hill & Knowlton Thailand
Tel: 0-2627 3501 ext 209
Fax. 0-2627 3510
Email:
[email protected]