Report of Thai Press Monitor - coverage of IP-related stories Period Monitored: 1-11 April 2003

Note:

1. Legal and Judiciary
2. IP in Business
3. Enforcement
4. External Relations

Sources: Krungthep Turakij = Bangkok Business News, along with Manager are the country’s leading business daily newspapers.
Prachachart Turakij and Than-Settakij are two most important bi-weekly newspapers for the Thai private sector. Thai Rath is the country’s mass circulation, while Matichon is a political newspaper.

Remarks: Mass circulation, general-interest papers such as Thai Rath (tabloid content in broadsheet look) and Matichon are keen on enforcement type stories. Krungthep Turakij, a business daily that is improving in strength as better-quality general interest paper, enthusiastically embraces IP coverage in any of its section—business, general news, or even the features section. The paper is widely read by decision-makers and business leaders in Bangkok while also commanding an increasingly strong following in the provinces.
The same is true for Manager daily. Prachachart Business and Thansettakij which cater specifically to the business segment would run IP stories relevant to the business/economic environment. They also tend to run IP stories from outside Thailand.

A. Legal and Judiciary

• · Thailand is to benefit considerably from joining the Patent Cooperation Treaty(PCT). A prominent Thai businessman (Viroj Amatakulchai, chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs) pointed out that PCT membership is inevitable as WTO compliance for Thailand. Moreover, the country has already taken steps to modify legislation to accommodate PCT membership.
• Definition of trade secrets and what is eligible for protection under the Trade Secrets Act is elaborated at length in the second part of a series of articles on the subject in Prachachat Business. The third and concluding part of the series pointed out to Thai businesses the importance of IP as asset which requires protection.
• DIP placed an advertorial in Krungthep Turakij (Bangkok Business) explaining what 3-dimensional trade mark is.

B. IP in Business

• · To encourage a new research culture that is industry-oriented, the Thailand Research Fund says it is offering researchers, sponsors to negotiate IP ownership under very flexible terms, in which the academics and researchers will be awarded incentives upon commercialisation of their research works. This will also make academics scope their research to aim at practical benefit to end users, and treat research project as business investment.
• With “NaRaYa”brand recognized as a success story for Thai SMEs, founder of Naraya Intertrade urged fellow Thai companies to build “self defence” for export in the form of IP rights protection, including trade mark registration.
• Two biggest entertainment conglomerates Grammy and RS held talks with illegal ring tone download operators in order to resolve the copyright issue. There are reportedly over 200 such operators based in Mah Boonkrong area. The issue right now is a mechanism to determine the quantity of use.
• The DIP has been instructed by Deputy Commerce Minister to talk to Grammy and RS to arrange for pirate CD traders to become authorized distributors of these two labels.

C. Enforcement

• A study commissioned by the Business Software Alliance shows that a 10% reduction of software piracy over a period of four years in Thailand will add US$1 billion value into the economy, generate $40 million in tax revenue, create 3,500 jobs and stimulate the software industry development. In addition to unpaid PR by presenting facts and figures from the study in the media, BSA placed advertorial in staple publications (Krungthep Turakij, Matichon,Than Settakij) to explain piracy and its impact to its target group -- corporate sector.
• Panthip Plaza wants to shed its image as a centre for pirate CD, software trade. But the mall owner said that certain shops are under mafia influence and "cannot give up the trade even if they want to." The mall has no problem terminating the lease of some 100 shops which will either leave in June or convert to trading in legal products. Nevertheless, 33 other shops hold long term lease of up to 20 years and evicting them can be a long drawn out process involving raids and prosecution. Meanwhile, the third floor of Pantip Plaza, once the busy pirate CD and MP3 zone, is reported to be almost completely shut down.

D. External Relations

• A coalition of Thai and American NGOs and students will conduct a joint mission to various states of the US during 13 April-6 May to “build understanding about problems and rights relating to the Thai Hom Mali rice.” They plan to meet American farmers, consumer groups and offices to highlight “bio-resource piracy” as illustrated by Rice Tech Co.’s registration of “Jasmati” name in 1997.
• The RIAA, representing the American music industry, sued four students from Princeton and two other universities for operating illegal music download through campus servers. The RIAA said millions of files are made available through such illegal file sharing.
• There are various kinds of technology developed to stop online piracy, a serious threat to the music and software industry. But tackling online piracy requires "conscience" on parts of end users as well as reasonable pricing.