Police Crackdown Targets Software Piracy

Police allege that a German company’s plant in Samut Prakarn used unlicensed software to design industrial laundry washing and drying machines. According to police, the value of the Autodesk software allegedly pirated by the company is 700,000 baht. On the same day, police raided a Thai company producing electronic goods using pirated AutoCAD software at several company plants. The value of software was also valued at approximately three-quarters of a million baht.

The following day police offcers from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division raided two companies in Chonburi. One of these companies is part of the South Korean industrial group with global assets of more than US$600 million and the other is a Japanese company with registered assets of 110 million baht. The estimated value of the infringed software allegedly used by these companies was 1.6 million baht and 876,000 baht respectively.

Other major corporations and  SMEs also faced police raids for suspected software piracy this month. Directors of these companies are held liable for software copyright infringement, and face fnes and possible jail sentences.

Those who report the use of unlicensed software by calling 02 714 1010 or by reporting it online are eligible  to receive   rewards of up  to 250,000 baht.