Digital piracy faces crackdown

Thosapone Dansupatra, chief of the Intellectual Property Department, says the new crackdown on digital piracy will aim at internet-based vendors. (File photo, FB)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered state officials to speed up the crackdown on digital piracy, especially transactions using popular social media.

Thosapone Dansuputra, acting director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, said that despite continued efforts to tackle intellectual property (IP) violations, piracy remains widespread, particularly the sale of counterfeit products on Facebook and at weekend markets.

"The premier and commerce minister are gravely concerned about digital piracy and ordered the authorities to suppress piracy, particularly on Facebook," he said. "The piracy rate on social media is now higher than that of camcording movies in cinemas."

According to Mr Thosapone, the department is holding talks with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) to launch a clampdown on piracy on Facebook and amend the Computer Crime Act to extend the penalty to cover IP infringements on the internet.

"The government has introduced a host of measures to curb IP violations as it aims to remove Thailand from the US's Priority Watch List for IP violations in 2017," he said. "We hope Thailand's status will improve next year."

The much-criticised annual US Special 301 report that grades nations on their enforcement of intellectual property laws, is due out in mid-April.

Thailand has scored at the very bottom, in the so-called "dirty dozen" list of national violators, for the past eight consecutive years.

As part of the strategy to tackle digital piracy, the government in August approved a 20-year IP reform roadmap, featuring action plans for the short, medium and long terms.

The short-term action plan calls for the government to have Thailand removed from the Priority Watch List next April through new enforcement measures.

The roadmap spanning 2018-21 covers support for Thais to develop their own intellectual property as well as measures to protect against and suppress IP violations. It also calls for establishing a new environment that stimulates IP creation, the commercialisation of IP, law enforcement and the promotion of geographical indication.

The plan entails more spending on research and development and the creation of an IP database. Efforts will also be made to raise awareness of the harm caused by using pirated products.

The national IP policy committee chaired by Gen Prayut approved the long-term reform plan and the action plans, which will be jointly implemented by Thai authorities and their US counterparts.

As a short-term measure, authorities will work closely with Isoc, the Department of Special Investigation and the national police to clamp down on piracy, with an eye on cutting the piracy rate over the next four months.