Government targets pirates using Facebook

Government targets pirates using Facebook

Facebook's billionaire chief Mark Zuckerberg demonstrates the social media's live video to an audience in San Francisco. The same technology is used by online Thai pirates, and the Intellectual Property Department is demanding their accounts be shuttered. (File photo)
Facebook's billionaire chief Mark Zuckerberg demonstrates the social media's live video to an audience in San Francisco. The same technology is used by online Thai pirates, and the Intellectual Property Department is demanding their accounts be shuttered. (File photo)

The Intellectual Property Department has asked Facebook to close accounts being used to sell pirated goods, Thosapone Dansuputra, the department director-general said Monday.

He said the department had contacted Facebook's regional office in Singapore seeking the removal of Thai-registered accounts belonging to people using them to hawk pirated goods.

Many have taken advantage of the Facebook live video feature to promote illegal wares.

So far, three owners of Thai-registered accounts have been arrested.

Two were based in Bangkok and the other in Chon Buri, according to Mr Thosapone.

He urged the owners of the intellectual property rights affected by the illegally-sold products to report directly to Facebook.

Mr Thosapone said Facebook will move quickly to act against users who abuse their accounts as it has a clear policy of not supporting the sale of pirated products on its social network.

The department has continued its crackdown on the online trading of fake goods. It has found many websites or social media channels selling pirated songs and movies.

Once the websites and the channels are located, the department will alert the police who track down the copyright violators and arrest them.

The police search for offenders via their IP addresses and bank accounts they opened to receive money from customers. Once offenders are identified, the police will request arrest warrants for them.

He said the department was regularly looking through web pages as part of its anti-piracy campaign.

When a new draft computer law is passed by the National Legislative Assembly, authorities could seek court approval to block websites or personal Facebook pages selling pirated goods. The bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.

A source said selling fake goods via Facebook is on the rise. Vendors who normally sell pirated products in markets or in rented space at department stores are trading online to avoid the crackdown by authorities.

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