Economic Crime Suppression Division police on Tuesday said 166 businesses used pirated computer software worth 358 million baht between January and September this year, a 20% year-on-year increase.
A third of the businesses found to have used the illegal copies were industrial factories while and another third was comprised of construction/design firms, ECSD deputy chief Kittisak Plathong told a press conference to update the department's efforts to crackdown on corporate software piracy.
Pol Col Kittisak said the four most common makers of pirated software found in use in business were Microsoft, Autodesk, Thai Software Enterprise and Tekla.
Of the shareholders from the 166 businesses fined for piracy, 83.2% were Thai, 1.2% South Korean, and 0.6% Chinese. Joint ventures accounted for 15.1%).
Pol Col Kittisak said piracy rates in Thailand have decreased continuously over the past eight years with a total of 247 cases reported in 2013 and 207 cases last year. He expects that will continue to drop.
Any company found to have used pirated software will be charged with violating Section 69(1) of the Copyright Act and fined between 20,000 and 200,000 baht.
Distributors of pirated software will face stiffer penalties of six months to four years in jail, plus fines of between 100,000 and 800,000 baht.