Girl tricked into making pirate krathong floats, then arrested

[PeteC]

Want to know how the police are spending their time? Take a good look and draw your own conclusions. The next news article should be to trace the fine remitted to see where that went?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... n-arrested

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A 15-year-old girl was arrested and fined 5,000 baht after making krathong baskets featuring cartoon characters that were ordered by undercover copyright police.

The girl, who gave her name as "Orm", said at her house in tambon Nong Khai Nam in Muang district that her family was shocked by the police sting operation.

She had intended to produce flower-patterned floats for this weekend's Krathong Festival to raise some money to help with her schooling, and offered the service via Facebook.

She had many customers, none of whom ordered a particular pattern for the krathong basket. And then one customer specifically ordered cartoon characters on the floats. When she delivered them at a local department store last Friday it turned out the order was placed by copyright police, who were waiting for her.

"After receiving the order, I made krathong baskets from 8am to 1.30am the next day so that I could fill the order, only to be arrested," Orm said.

"Normally I do not make any basket with a copyrighted character. This customer stressed they wanted copyrighted characters. After being arrested I cried all night because I have never faced such legal action before.

"I want to know why they had to do this to me," the young teenager said.

She said she made her krathong from bread and wanted only to help out her family because her father was a factory worker and did not receive a high wage.

Her father, Thawatchai Polhaeng, said the undercover agent ordered 136 krathong baskets with famous cartoon characters and his daughter delivered 30 baskets. The agent frightened his daughter and imposed a fine of 50,000 baht.

Her grandfather was a former policeman and later managed to negotiate the fine down to 5,000 baht, he said.

Pol Col Kachen Setaputta, chief of Muang Nakhon Ratchasima police station, confirmed the incident occurred and that copyright agents and police were involved in the sting operation.

Media reported the girl priced her baskets at 17 baht apiece.

[Big Boy]

This is disgusting, but yet another example of typical Thai policing. Make a phone call, sit down, and wait for the crime to come to them.

Why not get off their arses and walk around a few Thai markets - plenty of counterfeit goods there?

[stretch]

Hope this goes worldwide then fire the lot of them so they must get a real job.

[PeteC]

It's also sad that arrests like these are all tallied up and used to convince other countries that they are fighting against intellectual property theft. Subsequently, tariffs/sanctions/warnings are eased.

Worth mentioning the original fine was 50,000. Who decides this and what law is it based upon? Some officer arbitrarily throws out a number hoping for the best?

[PeteC]

Here is the link again. Go to the comments icon on the page and read what others are saying. I can imagine Thai FB is also over-boiling this evening.


https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... n-arrested

Screen Shot 2019-11-05 at 4.50.53 PM.png (6.71 KiB) Viewed 1202 times

[Big Boy]

I've just read through them - it's very unusual for 100% of posters to be united in their support for anything. Even people offering cash to fight the system - quite remarkable.

Actually, it's so pitiful, it's almost funny Do they really need to entrap schoolkids for trying to make a bit of honest pocket money?

[handdrummer]

It's like kids in the US getting arrested and fined for selling lemonade without a business license and health certificate. Thailand isn't the only screwed-up country but it's one of the worst, considering that it considers itself so highly.

[PeteC]

The plot thickens...... The whole thing may be a scam?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ght-agents

Two women allege extortion by 'copyright agents'

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Two women have told police they were extorted by the same people who tricked a teenage girl into making krathong floats featuring copyright cartoon characters, and then arrested and fined her.

Meena Sapsarp, 25, and Pitchaya Kaesungnoen, 19, on Wednesday filed their extortion allegation with police at Muang station on Wednesday.

Ms Meena said she was arrested on Oct 31 for making krathong baskets with famous cartoon characters. She told police the man claiming to be a copyright agent had imposed a fine of 70,000 baht, but she did not have that much money. After negotiations, she paid a fine of 30,000 baht - which she had to borrow from a neighbour.

Ms Pitchaya said she was caught on July 13 in Sung Noen district for selling pirated Yeti coolers. The officers demanded she pay a fine of 30,000 baht. After negotiations, she paid 10,000 baht.

The two women said those who led police to arrest them were the same copyright agents who arrested a 15-year-old girl in Muang district, a case which grabbed news headlines on Tuesday.

The girl, identified only as “Orn’’, was arrested and, after negotiations, fined 5,000 baht for making krathong baskets featuring cartoon characters that were ordered online as part of a police "sting".

She was making and selling flower-pattern floats for this weekend’s Krathong Festival, to raise money to help with her schooling.

However, one customer insisted on having cartoon characters on the floats. When she delivered 30 of them at a local department store last Friday it turned out the order was placed by copyright police.

The agent demanded she pay a fine of 50,000 baht. Her grandfather later negotiated the fine down to 5,000 baht. Media reported the girl priced her baskets at 17 baht apiece.

The girl's arrest sparked a public outcry.

T.A.C Consumer Plc, the representative of copyright holder San-X of Japan, later issued a statement saying the company had not assigned anyone to the operation that led to the arrest of the girl.

[PeteC]

Fined krathong sellers strike back

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... trike-back

About 30 sellers were preparing to file extortion charges on Thursday against "copyright agents" who ordered Krathong floats from them, insisting they feature rights-protected cartoon characters, and later demanded large fines.

Krathong makers from several northeastern provinces gathered at Muang Nakhon Ratchasima police station in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima to file their complaints.

They were being assisted by counsel from the Lawyers Council.

Their action followed news reports that two people who claimed to be copyright agents had lured a 15-year-old girl in Nakhon Ratchasima into making floats they insisted must feature copyrighted cartoon characters ahead of the Loy Krathong festival this weekend, ordering them from her online.

The girl was arrested when she delivered the krathongs. The "copyright agents" demanded she pay a fine of 50,000 baht, later negotiated down to 5,000 baht. A representative of the Japanese copyright-holding company later said no such legal action had been ordered or approved.

Lawyer Pornthep Charoenpong-anant said on Thursday the young teen filed her extortion complaint on Wednesday. Other float makers who had evidence to back their claims could file similar complaints with police right away.

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on Thursday that his ministry would ask foreign copyright owners if they ever assigned any parties to take action on their behalf in Thailand.

His secretary Thanakrit Jit-areerat said that if the rights owners did not make such assignments, those who demanded fines from the krathong makers would be prosecuted for extortion.

[Nereus]

Why has it taken so long for any action? Have to ask what would have happened if it had been some Hi-So parents kid that was treated like this. Why has there been no published response from the A****s involved? At least it now appears that something is being done about it, but it should never have come to this.

[PeteC]

Like most con artists they have a degree of intelligence. They're preying upon the uneducated and the poor. They know most Thai people like that will roll over and say nothing because of the age old class system and customs here, and if reported most police stations would file it deep and nothing would ever get done.

In cases such as this the Media is indeed your friend!

[Nereus]

In cases such as this the Media is indeed your friend!

Yes, although I detest "social media" I have to agree that this type of thing goes a long way towards pulling ****ks like this into line when it can be posted to so many people.

[Nereus]

There has to be some high up ****k behind this that is yet to be exposed:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
More victims join fight against extortion by 'copyright agents'

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ght-agents

About 90 people who were earlier fined for violating copyrights for Japanese cartoon characters on Friday sought the Justice Ministry's help to counter-sue the "copyright agents".

Lawyer Worakorn Pongthanakul took 10 of them to submit the requests to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin through Samart Jenchajitwanit, vice minister of justice.

Mr Worakorn said the 90 were among about 300 people in greater Bangkok who had faced demands for payment from people claimig to be agents of Japanese cartoon copyright holders.

"Many of them were arrested in sting operations and were detained and pressured to pay 30,000 to 100,000 baht each. Some of them were ordered to deliver genuine products without packaging and others sold second-hand products featuring Japanese cartoon characters," Mr Worakorn said.

They decided to take action after news reports about the alleged extortion of 15-year-old schoolgirl "Orn" in Nakhon Ratchasima province by a man and a woman, who later claimed to be copyright agents, who placed orders with her online for krathong floats featuring rights-protected cartoon characters.

"When they learned that legal loopholes had been abused in this case they got together to file legal complaints, because they had faced similar action and the people behind it may be connected," Mr Worakorn said.

Mr Samart, vice minister of justice, said he would forward the matter to the justice minister right away. The ministry had a fund to support people's legal action.

Two of the complainants who arrived with the lawyer said "copyright agents" had demanded 50,000 baht from each of them, but the sum was later negotiated down to 10,000-15,000 baht.

The 15-year-old girl in Nakhon Ratchasima was also fined 50,000 baht, but her relatives later managed to have it reduced to 5,000 baht.

Mr Samart said on Friday that Justice Minister Somsak had ordered provincial justice officials to protect the girl and her family, who had received threats after exposing her case.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta said on Friday that 15-year-old Orn's krathong did not violate any copyright. The copyright agency responsible had confirmed cartoon characters on her floats did not resemble rights-protected characters.

Even if they had looked alike, the girl would have received two warnings before facing legal action, Pol Gen Wirachai said.

[Nereus]

'Copyright agents' face arrest warrants for krathong floats 'sting'

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... oats-sting

Police will seek arrest warrants for "copyright agents" who ordered krathong floats adorned with copyrighted cartoon characters from a 15-year-old girl, and then had her arrested and fined for copyright infringement.

Pol Maj Gen Sujin Nitpanit, commander of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police, said on Monday the investigation was almost complete and police would request court warrants by the end of this week.

Police were expanding the investigation after more than 40 vendors filed complaints against the same agents, alleging they also sought police action against them in a copyright "sting" to extort fines.

Police have not named the copyright agents.

The scam was exposed after a Nakhon Ratchasima teenager, identified only as “Orn”, was arrested on Nov 1 for making krathong featuring San-X cartoon characters and forced to pay a 5,000-baht fine for copyright infringement, sparking public anger.

Orn, who was making and selling patterned floats for Monday's Loy Krathong Festival to help pay for her education, said she received an online order for 136 floats, with the customer demanding she use cartoon characters even though she had never used them before.

When she delivered 30 of the floats to the customer a local department store on Nov 1, she was arrested by police, who told her the order was placed by a copyright agent.

At first, the “agent” demanded she pay a 50,000 baht fine, but Orn’s grandfather negotiated it down to 5,000 baht.
TAC Consumer Plc, the representative of Japanese copyright holder San-X cartoon, denied it had assigned anyone to work with police in copyright sting operations.

Police have also affirmed that the characters on the floats did not really resemble the copyright cartoon characters, so no violation occurred.

Orn, the 15-year-old girl was arrested on Nov 1 for making krathong floats featuring cartoon characters, makes more baskets with coloured bread for Monday's festival in Nakhon Ratchasima province. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)

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[Nereus]

Teen victimised by copyright agents sells hundreds of floats

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -of-floats


NAKHON RATCHASIMA: The 15-year-old girl victimised by copyright agents over krathong adorned with cartoon characters earned over 16,000 baht as people flocked to buy her floats during the Loy Krathong festival on Monday night.

The girl, nicknamed Orn, made 360 krathong floats to sell at a stall in front of Central Plaza shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima.

People queued up to buy her floats, priced from 50 baht to 180 baht apiece.

The delighted teenager said on Tuesday she had sold out in about one hour. She had never sold so many krathong before. In previous years, she managed to sell only about 30 floats during the festival.

Of her total earnings of 16,220 baht, 50% went to cover production costs.

Orn said she made a profit of 8,110 baht.

She would keep half for her school fees and give the rest to her parents for household expenses.

The girl, a first-year student at Nakhon Ratchasima technical college, thanked the shopping mall for giving her space to sell her floats, and her customers for their support.

The girl's arrest and fine made news headlines after copyright agents tricked into making krathong baskets they ordered featuring cartoon characters. She was made to pay a 5,000-baht fine for so-called copyright infringement, sparking public anger.

Police are expanding the investigation after more than 40 vendors filed complaints against the same agents they accuse of bringing police action against them in a copyright “sting’’ to extort fines.

Krathong floats made by 15-year-old "Orn" quickly sell out at her stall in front of Central Plaza shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima on Monday. Victimised earlier by copyright agents and fined 5,000 baht, she took in more than 16,000 baht in sales. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)