The US government yesterday handed over this Integrated Forensic System, which will enable Thai authorities to identify the manufacturing sources of pirated products.

Director-general Kanissorn Navanugraha said relevant government agencies had to catch up with advanced technology developed specifically to violate copyrights.

To eliminate piracy, the government will keep a close eye on imported technology that could be used in the manufacture of illegal products.

To support suppression in Thailand, the US government yesterday handed over to the Thai government a device that detects copyright infringement. The Integrated Forensic System was designed by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (IFPI) to fight music and film piracy.

Kanissorn said the new equipment would enable Thai authorities to identify the manufacturing sources of pirated products originating from local optical-disc factories or elsewhere.

The equipment will be operated by the Forensics Division of the Royal Thai Police. The technology has been used since 2000 by the IFPI and the US-based Motion Picture Association (MPA) to detect copyright-infringing disc production in 17 countries.

Malaysia is the only Asian country to have used the system in filing criminal cases and revoking licences.

Mike Ellis, the MPA's senior vice president and regional director for the Asia-Pacific region, said his association and its members were pleased and encouraged by the focus the Thai government has given to anti-piracy and the protection of intellectual property rights.

The new equipment consists of a Nikon optical microscope, automated stage and high-resolution camera custom-built to enable the examination of optical discs.

The system comes packaged with imaging software and costs US$52,000 (Bt1.96 million).

The Commerce Ministry says 5,515 cases of copyright piracy were reported last year, up 11.2 per cent from 2004, and involved the seizure of 1.17 million items.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation