More than 20 enterprises caught using unlicensed software

 As part of Thai police efforts to lead Asia Pacific in the reduction of software piracy, the raids found several companies breaching the rules. They are;
 - An animation company that creates a popular televised children programme was found using unlicensed design software on 30 PCs.
 - A producer of Jasmine rice which claimed revenue nearly Bt7 billion in 2010, 36 PCs.
 - A manufacturing company in Bangpoo Industrial Estate.
 - A manufacturer of plastic packaging products, 69 PCs.
 Many of the companies currently under investigation for software piracy report significant annual revenue, indicating that piracy may be a matter of lax internal enforcement of software copyrights versus the inability to afford software licenses.
 “If there is a common thread through all of the companies raided it may be that the companies do not have in place a sufficient process for managing their software assets,” said Police Colonel Chainarong Charoenchainao, Deputy Commander and spokesman of the Economic Crime Division.
 “The cost of software legalisation is worth the peace of mind," he added. “It’s also about integrity. I believe every Thai business can succeed without having to rely on stolen software.”
 Thailand aims to overtake Hong Kong with the fastest drop in software piracy reduction in Asia Pacific. For four consecutive years now, the country has been making continued progress towards lowering software piracy rate from 80 per cent in 2006 to 73 per cent in 2010.
 Last year, more than half a billion baht worth of illegal software was seized in Thailand. Under the Copyright Act BE 2537, infringement of a copyrighted computer program carries punishment of imprisonment and/or a fine.
 Those who report the use of unlicensed software by calling 02-714-1010 or by reporting it online are eligible to receive an award of up to Bt250,000.  The identity of the caller is protected.  More information is available online at www.stop.in.th.