Foreign manufacturers ripping off Thai brands

[Admin]

Foreign manufacturers ripping off Thai brands
By Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation 2010-12-04

Famous Thai energydrink and chillipaste brands are being pirated in Asia, hitting local manufacturers, the Intellectual Property Department says.

The Red Bull brand has been copied in China, creating a loss of 1 million yuan (Bt4.5 million) from total sales of 1 billion yuan. Meanwhile, Mae Pranom chilli paste has been pirated in Malaysia.

Directorgeneral Pajchima Tanasanti said manufacturers had complained to the department about violated intellectualproperty rights (IPR) and lost income because of the infringements.

The department has submitted information to IPR enforcement agencies in China and Malaysia to investigate the cases.

"Thai trademarks have been registered in other countries for products developed in their own markets, and foreign manufacturers have copied Thai products and registered them under the same trademarks, damaging Thai manufacturers' businesses," she said.

To prevent violations, Pajchima urged Thai enterprises to register IPR overseas.

She said many Thai brands were at high risk of being pirated, particฌularly rice brands because of Thai rice's reputation for high quality. Some businesses had falsely claimed their product was from Thailand and used Thai language on the packaging, misleading consumers and damaging the reputation of genuine Thai rice.

The department will set up a special unit to monitor Thai products, services and innovations and protect them from IPR violations overseas, she said.

[boloa]

I do find this article quite funny. When you look how most western countries are doing their up-most to combat the coping of goods and the arresting of anybody that is caught selling fake item .but here in Thai the Police do nothing ( mostly because they are get tea money from the shop owners ) that is until some Hi-so Thai company director finds out someone is copying their brand.Directorgeneral Pajchima Tanasanti said manufacturers had complained to the department about violated intellectual property rights (IPR) and lost income because of the infringements and his  department will set up a special unit to monitor Thai products. Shouldn't  they be doing this for all products sold in Thailand not  just  for Thai brands ,sounds a like lot of fuss is being made because a few Thai brands are getting shafted ..and that is just not on...:-)

[buriramboy]

fake id cards, passports and more just opposite police station openly sold in khao san road in Bangkok?! naaaaaa. can't be true.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/207423/fake-documents-create-eu-security-stir

Fake documents create EU security stir
Criminals and terrorists alike are able to obtain a wide range of bogus documentation on the streets of Bangkok
bangkok post: 21/11/2010 at 12:00 AM