Asia: a waste of time and effort

A journey across Thailand, Laos and Cambodia will make you aware of the value and importance of intellectual property rights...

Just about anything is copied there. It is too absurd for words. CDs, DVDs, watches, sunglasses etc., we knew about them. But also entire paintings are copied accurately and skilfully, as must be admitted.  You will spend some 1500 Baht (about €25) for a 'genuine' Gustav Klimt or Andy Warhol. Unsuspectingly and with the best intentions, I bought a book about the horrors of the Red Khmer period in Cambodia from a street vendor in Phnom Penh, who was disabled due to landmine. On closer consideration, even this turned out to be a copy, including the cover... Undoubtedly, this was done without the publisher's permission.

In these countries there are not enough lawyers and bailiffs to discourage imitations. Might this be a gap in the market for our firm?

publicatiedatum: Tuesday, August 05, 2008