Thailand is revving up its crackdown on intellectual property (IP) infringements and modernising its laws and regulations for the online market, hoping to be delisted from the US' Priority Watch List because it puts the country at risk of being slapped with non-tariff barriers on trade.
Thosapone Dansuputra, director-general of the Commerce Ministry's Department of Intellectual Property, said the department is due to amend IP regulations related to the online market and e-commerce to modernise them.
The amendments will include a way for owners of IP, goods or advertisements to force internet service providers (ISPs) to take down all posts that infringe on their rights.
"This strategy will make the internet more secure for businesses," said Mr Thosapone.
Previously IP owners had to wait until the accused were found guilty of violating the Computer Crime Act 2007, which could take up to several months, before using court orders to force ISPs to take down infringing content.
The IP Department works closely with the Royal Thai Police and other related agencies to have tighter surveillance on property infringement in several shopping places, including in Pantip IT Plaza and Chatuchak Weekend market as well as other markets along border areas.
These efforts will be reported to the US Trade Representative in Thailand to prove the country is trying to protect IP. The hope is the US will delist Thailand from its Priority Watch List to avoid being hit with non-tariff barriers that could hurt Thai exports.
The US normally reviews the IP list every April. Thailand has remained on the list for several years.
Thailand hopes the US will hold an "out of cycle" review to move the country off the list more quickly, said Mr Thosapone.