NONTHABURI, Sept 4 (TNA) — The Ministry of Commerce will destroy about 10 million items of pirate products to ensure that they would not be smuggled back into markets.
Deputy Commerce Minister Weerasak Wangsuphakijkosol said representatives of concerned manufacturers and important trading partners including the European Union, Japan, the United States, South Korea and Southeast Asian nations were invited to witness the destruction at the 1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment in Don Muang district, Bangkok, on Sept 12.
Legal prosecution of the products rounded up last year was finalized. They were in 6,939 cases and included clothes, bags, belts, shoes, watches, mobile phones, CDs, VCDs, eyeglasses, cosmetics and cigarettes causing copyright damage worth about 550 million baht, Mr Weerasak said.
According to him, anti-piracy efforts continue. In the first five months of this year, authorities seized 612,000 pirate products (up 86% year-on-year) in 2,574 cases (up 11%).
Thosapone Dansuputra, director-general of the Department of Intellectual Property, said piracy included fake drugs and many of them were seized including fake Viagra drugs available at many locations in Bangkok and tourist destinations. (TNA)
