Factory raided with 63 PCs found running illegal software
A company in Chachoengsao has been caught running illegal software worth more than Bt2 million on 63 personal computers, the most units at a raided operation so far this year.
The manufacturer with revenue of Bt924 million a year has mainland Chinese and Taiwanese shareholders.
Pol Colonel Sorrasuk Choosanit, acting commander of the Economic Crime Police, said yesterday that they had violated copyright law by installing pirated software on their computers, including computers used for manufacturing.
"From our experience, big companies can be just as guilty of violating copyright law as much smaller businesses if their executives do not manage their software assets effectively.
"This company is not the biggest we’ve raided this year. A real-estate development company with assets valued at Bt2 billion was raided earlier," he said.
Another company raided recently was a manufacturer of food and beverages, medicine and cosmetics in Samut Prakan. The company had assets valued at Bt313 million and annual revenue of Bt270 million. In comparison, the unlicensed software it installed on its six computers was worth a mere Bt1.47 million.
In a third case, a manufacturer of electronic components in Chachoengsao with Samoan, Taiwanese and Seychellois shareholders was found with infringing software. The company had assets valued at Bt235 million and annual revenue of Bt190 million. It installed unlicensed software valued at Bt2 million on 32 of its computers.
The fourth case involved a Taiwanese-Thai company in Chachoengsao producing medical instruments and supplies. The infringement value of unlicensed software installed on 19 computers was Bt9 million.
"Regardless of the size of the organisation, companies that do not use licensed software are breaking the law," Sorrasuk said.
"Companies with vision will invest in legal software to make sure that they operate legally and use software to enhance productivity and security.
"It is very important for companies today to operate ethically and in full compliance with the laws of the country," he said.
Since the beginning of the year, police have raided 38 companies, mostly in manufacturing, that were suspected of using illegal software.
Others were construction and engineering, waste management, electrical installation, and logistics service providers.
So far, 424 computers with Bt80 million worth of unlicensed software have been seized.
