Bangkok--3 Jun--vero pr
Police officials swept through six provinces in a series of raids against companies accused of violating the Thai Copyright Act in April and May, discovering nearly 30 million baht in unlicensed software being used by a wide range of businesses.
Companies operating in the manufacturing, architecture, electronics, packaging and construction industries were found using unlicensed software.
Police officials emphasize that these raids fit within a pattern of consistently enforcing the Thai Copyright Act. In April, officers from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division (ECD) raided nine companies based on tips and investigations that showed evidence of unlicensed software use. Through the first part of 2009, police averaged six substantial raids per month, in which they go into workplaces where unlicensed software has been used and charge the directors of the company with copyright violation.
“We conduct raids against companies accused of using unlicensed software on a weekly basis all year long,” said Pol Col Sarayuth Pooltanya, Deputy Commander of the Economic and Cyber Crime Division (ECD). “Only by consistently enforcing the law each and every day can we make progress in reducing the software piracy rate in Thailand.”
The approach appears to be paying off, as a recent study by IDC showed that Thailand’s PC software piracy rate fell by 2 percentage point in 2008.
In the most recent sweep, police raided companies in Bangkok, Chon Buri, Rayong, Ayutthaya, Prachinburi and Samut Sakorn. According to police, unlicensed software products belonging to Autodesk, Solid Works and Thai Software Enterprise, among others, were found in use following a month-long investigation of these companies.
With dozens of ongoing investigations, police officials predict that they have enough evidence to carry out raids against software copyright violators on at least a weekly basis for the remainder of 2009. Companies that use unlicensed software in all parts of Thailand face possible enforcement actions, added police officials.
“The software industry is grateful for the consistent and vigilant manner in which police officials protect the intellectual property of the software community,” said Siripat Patrangul, Business Software Alliance (BSA) Spokesperson for Thailand. “With limited resources, the police are efficiently enforcing the law. The business community at large may not be aware of all the raids being conducted against companies that use unlicensed software, but we do and we are thankful for the support and protection of our industry’s innovations.”
Patrangul said that in some cases employees at the raided companies have downloaded unlicensed software and used it for the business operation.
“However, the company directors are obligated to inspect what software products are being used on company premises,” Patrangul said. “It is also the responsibility of company directors to educate their employees about software policies in order to avoid breaking the Thai Copyright Act.”
Information and guidance about software copyright compliance is available for company directors at www.stop.in.th and bsa.org. There have also been a series of free Software Asset Management (SAM) seminars designed to offer Thai executives guidance on compliance as well as maximizing the productivity and security benefits of genuine software.
In addition, BSA operates a hotline to receive reports of software infringement. Those who report the use of unlicensed software by calling 02-714-1010 or by reporting it on line are eligible to receive an award of up to 250,000 Thai Baht. The identity of the caller is protected.
From January 2008 to April 2009, 77 companies in 15 provinces nationwide have been raided and are being prosecuted. Total of 2,244 PCs have been seized containing pirated software worth 238 Million Baht.
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