Bid to rid counterfeit software in Thailand

BANGKOK, November 29 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Commerce's Intellectual Property Department, along with concerned agencies, are urging goods exporters to the United States to use genuine software and are putting efforts to reduce the use of counterfeit software in the country by 10 per cent in 2013. The department's director-general, Pajchima Tanasanti, insisted on Wednesday that attempts are being made to reduce the use of counterfeit software in Thailand by 10 per cent next year so that Thai exports will not violate the US Unfair Competition Act or UCA, as the country was ranked seventh in the world and scored 72 points after Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and China in terms of violating property rights in software last year. Pajchima said that the Intellectual Property Department has cooperated with several agencies, including the Royal Thai Police, in organizing a seminar, now in progress, to educate people on the UCA law and its enforcement. Besides, efforts to reduce the use of fake software in Thailand came as Washington is going to consider and announce in April 2013 countries which have violated its intellectual property rights. Thailand has been maintained on the United States’ Priority Watch List, prompting concerned agencies in the country to have put efforts to improve the status to less-stringent Watch List category. The United States, a world major software producer, lost 9.77 billion US dollars in revenue from an infringement of its software property rights last year alone. (TNA)