BANGKOK: Thai authorities, working with international partners, have cracked down on a Thailand-Malaysia online piracy network accused of illegally streaming copyrighted films.
Authorities raided two locations in Chiang Mai province and arrested a suspect believed to have managed subscriber access to the service on behalf of the platform's principal operator in Malaysia.
Director-General of Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Oramon Sapthaweetham said the operation was carried out under Interpol's Stop Online Piracy programme with support from the Royal Thai Police, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Korean National Police Agency and rights holders.
"The operation led to the dismantling of the network, which distributed copyrighted films without authorisation to paying subscribers in Thailand and Malaysia," Oramon told reporters on Monday (June 8).
She said the raids were conducted at company premises in Suthep subdistrict and a residence in Mae Hia subdistrict in Chiang Mai province.
"Items seized included accounting documents, payment records linked to cloud-computing service providers, email correspondence, mobile phones and computers believed to have been used in the operation," she said.
She added that the suspect was charged with joint copyright infringement for commercial purposes, including the unauthorised reproduction, adaptation and distribution of cinematographic works.
Oramon said the operation reflected Thailand's intensified efforts to combat online piracy and protect the film industry, copyright holders and the creative economy.
She added that the department would strengthen monitoring and enforcement ahead of the FIFA World Cup to curb illegal livestreaming, the sharing of unauthorised viewing links and the commercial exploitation of match footage.
Under Thai law, copyright infringement is punishable by fines of between 20,000 baht (US$609) and 200,000 baht. Offences committed for commercial gain carry penalties of up to four years' imprisonment, fines ranging from 100,000 baht to 800,000 baht, or both.
The department also urged the public not to support copyright-infringing websites and platforms, warning that piracy harms creators, the creative industry, employment and the wider economy. - Bernama
