WASHINGTON - Thailand has been put at the top of the list of the world's worst violators of intellectual property for another year.
Music, movies and counterfeit goods are still on sale in blatant quantities, so Thailand will stay on the Special 301 Report of the world's worst pirates of intellectual property, as compiled by the US Trade Representative. (File photo by Patipat Janthong)
The annual Special 301 Report by the US Trade Representative places Thailand on the ``priority watch list'' with nine other countries for the seventh consecutive year.
"Ten countries - Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, and Venezuela - are on the Priority Watch List," the report said. The "USTR will seek to engage intensively with these countries, as appropriate, during the coming year."
In theory, presence at the top of the watch list can bring punitive trade retaliation including special duties and sanctions. In practice, this never has happened.
Thai officials were disappoined but not surprised by the decision. Patchima Thanasanti, head of the Department of Intellectual Property, said before the report came out late Wednesday that the US was unhappy with IP protection in Thailand.
"The United States views that the problem has not declined for the past five years and that Thailand has no serious law to protect intellectual property," she was reported as telling Thailand-Business-News.com
She predicted there could be a comprehensive law to protect intellectual property by next year.
The USTR remained concerned, as it was last year, that Thailand has failed to pass laws protecting intellectual property.
"Thailand remains on the Priority Watch List in 2013," it states in the section on Thailand. "The United States is prepared to review that status if Thailand makes significant progress in passing key legislative initiatives.
It calls for more crackdowns on open sales of copyright and counterfeit goods, "and to impose deterrent-level (prison) sentences".
According to the US agency, Thailand should:
- end piracy of cable and satellite signals
- make landlords liable for sales of pirated and counterfeit goods in or on their property
- put a stop to the rapidly growing problem of copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting on the internet
- stop "camcording", or recording of motion pictures inside cinemas using video cameras or smartphones
- stop the leaking of test results and marketing plans for drugs, pharmaceuticals and chemicals for agricultural use
- hold more discussions with "stakeholders" (i.e. drug companies) on medical patents