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Those found guilty will be subject to penalties under the Money-Laundering Act, under which their assets will be seized.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said the committee for copyright violation suppression agreed yesterday to amend the Copyright Act to increase the penalties for both sellers and buyers of fake products.

The committee also approved six strategies to safeguard intellectual rights. It also agreed to step up its efforts to convince the US to remove Thailand from its Priority Watch List, under which the Kingdom loses tax privileges on goods access to the American market.

Alongkorn added that the committee had decided to consider amendment of copyright violation laws such as Copyright Act and Trademark Act. The amendments will focus not only on sellers and buyers but also landlords who lease land to people who open shops or set up businesses that violate intellectual property rights.

The committee will conduct a public hearing on June 1.

"Sellers and buyers found guilty of infringement of intellectual property rights or product piracy will be fined under the relevant acts but landlords will be prosecuted under civil law and criminal law," he said.

According to police reports covering January to April this year, there were 2,768 intellectual property rights violation cases in which a total of 1.54 million fake products were seized, an increase by 50 per cent over the same period last year.

The Commerce Ministry, in cooperation with the Foreign Affairs Ministry will request neighbouring countries, particularly Burma, to help crack down on illegal products being smuggled across borders, particularly at Mae Sai, Chiang Rai.

The government has also ordered relevant agencies to be more proactive in stamping out the trade in illegal products being produced and sold in the country as well as those being imported.