Tomorrow is arguably the least auspicious day with great potential importance for Thailand and most of the world. World IP Day is the poorly concocted idea of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. Wipo, as it is generally known, is charged the duty to educate and help to enforce protection of copyright, trademarks and the like around the world. It has no official status inside any United Nations member country, but it has generally failed to live up even to its minimal standards of helping to protect intellectual, cultural and national property pretty much everywhere.
World IP Day will pass like any other in Thailand. The mall kiosks and street vendors will peddle illegal books, movies, music, medicine, clothes, purses, and auto and motorcycle parts. Software vendors will sell hundreds or perhaps thousands of pirated copies of everything from operating systems to 3D modelling programs to anti-virus utilities. Mechanics will put hundreds of falsely labelled tyres on cars whose drivers will unknowingly risk their lives thinking they are driving on high-quality, brand name rubber.
None of these illegal, embarrassing and/or dangerous events is the direct responsibility of Wipo. On the other hand, Wipo, by words and actions, is the first to point out that the rapid breakdown of respect for intellectual property in the past generation is not its fault. But there is plenty of blame to spread over a wide area for this legal and moral breakdown. Governments and businesses alike have failed utterly to enforce the law or to encourage more respect for intellectual property.
Last year, Alongkorn Ponlaboot, the deputy commerce minister, appeared at the Siam Paragon mall with handsome and pretty Thai movie stars. His message was a "thank you" to movie fans who paid to watch films at the cinema or on legitimate DVDs and non-pirated TV broadcasts. He promised the then-Democrat government "will do all it can to protect IP rights in Thailand". To put it mildly, almost anyone could do better.
Anyone but the previous government and the current one, that is. There is likely to be another wishy-washy statement in the tradition of Mr Alongkorn again this year. But it will be a case of new government, just like the old government. To be fair, both education and enforcement on intellectual property are daunting tasks. To be equally fair, this government and every predecessor hasn't even tried to confront either of them.
Thailand is a developing nation, and one part of the economy that is developing fast is the so-called creative industries. Much of Thai food is the victim of intellectual property theft, such as jasmine rice (khao hom mali) to golden pillow (mon thong) durian. Thai music and movies are widely pirated. Thai-made medical products are routinely faked in dangerous ways. A simple Google search will turn up daily examples of piracy of this newspaper. Thailand is, of course, a centre of piracy. But the country's intellectual giants are victims as well.
What we should hear on Thursday is a robust defence of IP laws, and a promise to begin proper enforcement and education about why intellectual property is valuable. Unfortunately, none of this is likely. Government, the UN and business all will allow yet another World IP Day pass by without exploiting the chance to do the right thing.