Posted 2009-05-08 12:58:00
 raro, on 2009-05-07 17:16:46, said:
WinnieTheKhwai, on 2009-05-07 12:23:30, said: 2 days notice... I'm beginning to see a pattern. Someone likes surprises!
I don't see a problem here. Selling pirated goods is illegal in Thailand for many years. No need for any notice!
I met a Farang one time selling replica watches at Pantip Platza, I am sure he was British, his watches were excellent replicas and these must be the type that the real manufacturers worry about, mine still working and looks good after 4 years... its so good, some people have said maybe it came out the back door of the real factory... does anyone really care in this day and age...
Posted 2009-05-08 13:16:12
Callanbkk, on 2009-05-07 15:07:53, said: I dont see any problem with selling counterfeit (spelt right?) goods, its all part of the joy of tourists coming to Bangkok and buying some cheap gifts. I mean think of a fake rolex, people who spend a few thousand baht on one are most probably not the people who will spend say a few thousand pounds on a real one. If anything having more people with rolex on them are spreading the word! Thus making more business for rolex! I cant imagine that people who buy copy watches or goods would have an affect (except copied media like cd's dvd's etc) on the real market. People who can afford the real deal will buy the real deal and people who cant will buy a cheap alternative or a fake/copy.
Just my opinion  but obviously not everyone will agree!
Couldn't agree more with your logic in general but do people wearing fake rolex spread the desire to own a real one or a copy? As you state those who can afford a real Rolex will buy one, those who can't will buy the copy. IMHO there will always be a market for both, but the counterfeit item will alway damage the orginals sales by taking away it's exclusiveness and this is why the big name brands get upset. I am now fortunate enough to own several Rolex watches and would not now buy a copy....but when I couldn't afford to own a real one, I wore a copy! In my case this stimulated the desire to own a real one, and once I did I bought others so you could say Rolex benefited from my owning a copy!
At the end of the day, immitation is the sincerest form of flattery and they should be happy that people desire to own their products (or at least a copy!)
Posted 2009-05-08 13:51:29
IMA_FARANG, on 2009-05-07 22:36:57, said: bkkjames, on 2009-05-07 12:20:02, said: steven100, on 2009-05-07 15:17:04, said: Here's my take ..... If a tourist buys a copy watch , handbag whatever how the hel_l can that affect or infringe on revenue from the original supplier or company.
The tourist is not going to pay hundreds of dollars for an original rolex , gucci or any other brand. So what is the big deal.
Also , the vendor makes his money, he employs thais, the copy factory employs thais who take money home to put food on the table.
I for one am happy to buy a fake as I will never be able to buy the real thing and even if I had enough money I woundn't waste it on name brands anyway.
If a poor person wants to buy a copy or fake then who is it hurting ???
I hope the Gucci's , Valentinos ect.. go bust.... good on the fakes 
Tell me if i'm wrong !
Cheers..
steve, while I tend to hold the opinion that extortionist fee practices of certain software companies has lead to the huge counterfit problem its facing, stealing is stealing - call it what you want.
I am not sure what business you are in but if you had someone knocking off your patented / copywrited products and services - you wouldn't be happy.
I don't disgagree as to the 'immediate' commercial harm in having some tourist buy a fake rolex will have on the company - it doesn't make it right does it?
The other day - I went to the licenced Man Utd store in Lad Prao and paid over the top price for a pair of shorts. I could have gotten something very similar on the street for 1/8th the cost I am sure. I chose not too. Why, it wasn't the difference in price - it's the fact that I wanted authentic garment that was hopefully produced in some properly run factory with ethical practices. I have my reasons - I am sure those who buy copies have their reasons.
Are we at this stage in the world the of commerce where R&D and brand building are worth nothing though?
anyways, the actions I would guess are window dressing yet again.
Nice try. but total cr#p.
Buying the "real" product does not gaurentee it was produced by "ethical" or "eviromentally sound" production practices.
In fact the large corporations that produce these name brands, are just as likely to make them in a sweatshop with employees paid a fraction of the wage they should be paid.
I would argue the larger the corporation, the more interested they are in profit only, and therefore the more likely they are to manufacture their goods in the lowest cost sweat shop in a third world country.
As for your example of Man United shorts, simply because you paid the top line price, does not mean you got a quality product produced in a ethical factory.
Does Man Utd manufacture shorts. No, they don't. The merchandise is provided by suppliers who bid on the contract at the lowest price they can afford. That kind of thing almost gaurentees that the merchandiser, Man Utd in this case, simply buys cheap and sells high. Unless Man Utd is very unusual, they don't even ask the mechandise supplier anything but, "How much is the cost per unit?"
Why should you pay $29.95 for a DVd that actually cost the manufacturer less that $1.00 to make. Yes, I know about the "production costs" of making the film DVD...and I know a lot too about how to double or triple the apparent costs of production so that the costs can be used to reduce the actual taxes paid by the production company. Creative accounting.
Anyway I'm getting off the topic. Just let me say that consumer goods especially DVDs, CDs, and other counterfit products are what I will buy if I can. Buying the "official" products is just another capitalist scam that the consumers have to pay for.
I do not care to pay some corporation 3 times what I should for the same product because the market is regulated for the benefit of the producers, and at the expense of the consumers.
The people who are trying to stop the sale of pirated and bootleg DVDs are supported directly by the official producers of the films (i.e. motion picture industry). The salaries of the watchdogs cracking down on DVD piracy are paid for directly (at least in the U.S) by the film makers.
I'm glad that there are people in Thailand who copy and sell pirated goods. It takes the sales away from the capitalist scum that overcharge the consumers.
Just my opinion. Excuse the rant.
Hear, Hear, well said that man. Buying the "Official" merchandise from the likes of football clubs and movie studios only supports and condones the obscene amount of money paid to top footballers and actors, both of whom perform a job of work like most of us. Thanks to the support of (IMHO) fools who like to pay over the odds for their entertainment and/or mechandise, these people (who in real terms offer little to society) live like royalty.
Posted 2009-05-08 14:03:39
watched it on the news on 3 last night - in fact it's apart of a crack down on many places,
known for selling pirated goods - it's illegal, piracy - full stop!
The mob complaining seemed to be an somewhat organized mob -
thugs, touts,
sure they don;t want to have ANYONE to interfere with "their" business -
it's big, big money!
Some red shirts spotted...(might have been coincidence)
and someone shouted: "Aow Thaksin ma, dee qua!"
"bring/have Thaksin back, that was better!"
Not joking, thought I couldn't believe my ears
Anything is possible to politicize!
Specially it goes into peoples pockets and income,
into what they believe is "their turf"...where they are "the law"..
Much, much, much of this stuff will
surface if anything is going to change here...
it goes through all aspects of society ...
Edited by Samuian, 2009-05-08 14:04:26.
Posted 2009-05-09 09:53:08
nitincc, on 2009-05-07 15:53:32, said: Patpong is ruled by Mafia's .... especially the bars & sex shows... had an horrible experience when went with my friends & family to see the show ... we had to pay 15000 bhats to get out after 15 mins of the show...they actually bring armed goons to threaten tourists....with my serious suggestion to all tourists that they should avoid patpong completely.... thailand has many other places to party ... Pl Pl stay off PATPONG for sure...... Even the cops dont register complaints & the tourist police vanish from that place...
Couldn't agree more. Was persuaded to go there against my better judgement a couple of years ago by a couple of visitors. Went to 2 bars and in both cases struggled to get out without paying a lot of money. In the first case got a bill for about 5 times what it should have been - paid what it should have been and chanced my arm and walked out and was followed down the street by several people screaming abuse. In the second case paid a bill that seemed about right but as I left I was surround by an old crone who said I hadn't paid and about sic young guys who I suspected may have been armed aand got away. Managed to get away by bunging her 500. Never been back since and tell any freinds who come over not to go near the place. You can get copy goods anywhere in BKK and go to relatively safe places like Cowboy or Nana (and many others) So why go to a sewer like Patpong?
Posted 2009-05-09 10:21:09
Insight, on 2009-05-07 08:45:29, said: Looks like there was a bit of a fracas with the Patpong street traders and the police last night. Only info I can find online about it on the ASTV site here (translated).
Background I heard is that they're upset with a recent clampdown on selling counterfeit items - 2 days notice.
BKK Post and The Nation have absolutely zilch on it so far.
life witghout counterfitting in thailand. There will be alot of poor thai people should they stop it. say good bye to your fake hand bags football shirts caps dvd's.
new govement new laws.
Posted 2009-05-09 10:42:43
Frezie, on 2009-05-09 09:53:08, said: nitincc, on 2009-05-07 15:53:32, said: Patpong is ruled by Mafia's .... especially the bars & sex shows... had an horrible experience when went with my friends & family to see the show ... we had to pay 15000 bhats to get out after 15 mins of the show...they actually bring armed goons to threaten tourists....with my serious suggestion to all tourists that they should avoid patpong completely.... thailand has many other places to party ... Pl Pl stay off PATPONG for sure...... Even the cops dont register complaints & the tourist police vanish from that place...
Couldn't agree more. Was persuaded to go there against my better judgement a couple of years ago by a couple of visitors. Went to 2 bars and in both cases struggled to get out without paying a lot of money. In the first case got a bill for about 5 times what it should have been - paid what it should have been and chanced my arm and walked out and was followed down the street by several people screaming abuse. In the second case paid a bill that seemed about right but as I left I was surround by an old crone who said I hadn't paid and about sic young guys who I suspected may have been armed aand got away. Managed to get away by bunging her 500. Never been back since and tell any freinds who come over not to go near the place. You can get copy goods anywhere in BKK and go to relatively safe places like Cowboy or Nana (and many others) So why go to a sewer like Patpong?
go soi cowboy near the BTS asok station/ small strip with good shows
Posted 2009-05-10 11:26:44
btvbill, on 2009-05-07 21:58:06, said: I just got back from Patpong a few minutes ago and it's like a ghost town there (9:30pm). Very few tourists and all the vendors just sitting around in the dark with all their goods still packed up. I was talking to one vendor and a TV camera showed up out of nowhere. Was walking by one of the go-go's and two girls literally grabbed my arms and tried to pull me inside. Never had that happen before. Looks like times might be a changin'.
That's funny... you must've spent most of your time in LOS during good economic times (either that, or they had no need to grab you, since you were headed inside anyway ;-) ).
The grab-n-pull technique used to be the standard method of operation -- it's funny the first 1 or 2 times, and maybe even flattering (if you mistook the motives, as I did the first time it happened to me), but after that, when you want to go somewhere, it's rather annoying that they don't accept "no" and let you walk on.
Looks like times have already changed!
Posted 2009-05-10 21:34:14
I lived in the area of Patpong market for many years and shopped there frequently. I don't ususally buy pirated/copied things any more. I don't really want designer products to begin with, just good stuff that lasts a reasonable time. Most of the stuff in Patpong was absolute crap and it wasn't cheap--even though they knew me and I got the best deal, it was still not cheap.
They are criminals and they are doing something illegal and they should be arrested and prosecuted. Thailand had no trouble with copying drugs, so if they want to do the same with DVD's and Gucci bags, then they can suspend the laws on it and have a field day. Until they do, it's illegal and that's it.
Some of the arguments are akin to condoning drug traffickers because at least the money doesn't go into the pocket of big Pharma!
Posted 2009-05-10 21:51:43
If they really wanted to stamp out the problem , then they would be raiding the wholesalers (or producers) of these goods. I would imagine some items such as clothing are made here and others such as sunglasses/watches etc are imported.
For goodness sakes the imported ones must be arriving at the port or are we to believe that Mr & Mrs Average Wong bring them over in their suitcase? Or is this an exercise to make sure that they are seen to be doing something which is always preferable than actually doing something.
Posted 2009-05-12 14:46:36
as a small record producer holding USA copyrights--I was given no protection when the major record companys would use my copyrights. the royalties when paid were a joke and the RIAA only protects the interests of the very large corporation. the laws in the USA are only to protect the rich corporations. they steal from their artists their producers and you the public who feel you are doing the "right" thing by not downloading or not buying copies. the movie studios and record companys have US customs in their pocket protecting their interests. the "laws" are a joke only to benefit the very very wealthy allowing them to continue their fraud.
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