Commerce Minister cracks down on online sale of fake branded goods
Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday that he has instructed the Intellectual Property Department to crack down on the sale of fake branded products via online trading platforms.
He said online platforms have become popular among small businesses, but many use them to sell goods that violate property rights and thus damage Thailand’s image.
Phumtham, who doubles as deputy premier, said he has also told the department to educate small and medium-sized enterprises to patent their products to protect them from being copied.
The minister added that the ministry will promote the registration of more GI (geographical indication) products that can be promoted as Thailand’s soft power.
Vuttikrai said the 30 businesses can inform the three platforms directly if they see their products copied and sold on the platforms. He added that the department is also seeking cooperation from Facebook to crack down on the violation of copyright. He said Facebook responded by saying it was developing tools to weed out products that violate copyright.
The department said the three platforms have been informed of 960 items that violate copyright and have removed the items after being informed. The items include imitation ink cartridges, sneakers, clothes, cosmetics and auto parts.
