The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), made up of some of the largest "Entertainment Industries" and the "Copyright Enforcement Organizations" has expressed deep concerns over devastating copyright piracy in Thailand. They have officially warned Thailand's Government that they it need to take urgent action to start reducing the high levels of piracy goods that are originating from Thailand and infecting the world market.

In the statement delivered to Thailand, the IIPA is suggesting that the Thai government itself has direct involvement by knowingly sheltering piracy criminals in the country. Thailand harbors dozens of huge CD-producing plants capable of manufacturing over 400 million CD and DVD discs per year, which comes to more than 7 times any justifiable legitimate domestic demand, the IIPA states.

The IIPA has also warned the US government not to permit the Thai Government to use the current "Free Trade Agreement" or FTA negotiations as an excuse for inaction against the huge piracy violations in Thailand.

For the entertainment industry to criticize national and international governments for failing to protect its commercial interests is nothing new. Nor does the IIPA hesitate to use national police forces to act as industry enforcers, working from material supplied by its undercover "Investigation Units".

Piracy in Thailand currently causes enormous harm to the copyright industries, declares the IIPA and until today, the Thai Government has shown little sign that it intends much more than minor actions, to catch the news-headlines, to the serious piracy problem now that Thailand is involved in "Free Trade Agreement" talks with the US.

The International Entertainment Industry and Copyright Enforcement Organizations expects the highest level of copyright protection and anti-piracy law enforcement in Thailand as a result of any future Free Trade Agreement with Thailand.

The IIPA also expect that the Royal Thai Government will take concrete steps during the FTA negotiations to fight the massive production of pirate CDs, DVDs, and CD-ROMs; production and stop the enormous export of pirate cartridge-videogames, piracy books, pirated business software, copied designer clothing and many other forms of piracy goods, made in Thailand.

It has now very clear that Thailand has become a major exporter of pirate CD and DVD discs, said IIPA president Eric Smith. We simply cannot understand why Thailand, which wants to modernize its economy and country to 21st century standards, would want to protect these organized copyright violators and their shameless piracy industry.