Page 132 - Dignity and justice for all of us our voices are heard in Thailand
P. 132
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Voice
Mr. Thienchai Pinvises, executive director from the Motion Picture Association, Thailand, shares
his idea of the challenges to reaching the full enjoyment of the rights enshrined in Article 27 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He believes that one of the main challenges is to
reach a balance between the right to experience the knowledge and/or entertainment value of
artistic or scientific creations and the commercial right of the author or creator. At present, the
Mr. Thienchai Pinvises
Executive Director right of the author/creator is often violated, he explains. Despite the fact that there is a
The Motion Picture Association, Thailand
copyright law in Thailand, he feels that it is unable to keep pace with the technological
innovations that are increasingly used to circumvent copyright protections.
“The damage
generated by Today, technology plays a crucial role in the violation of copyright law. “In the case of the film
industry, copyright violation starts from personal camera recording in a theatre and continues
copyright violation with the posting of the recorded movie content on a website, its transmission to a factory for
reportedly affects duplication or to a downloading service,” he says. He adds, “The damage generated by
copyright violation reportedly affects the work of 300,000 employees in this industry and
the work of 300,000 discourages creative efforts in general.”
employees” A change in societal attitudes is required, which can be achieved through awareness-raising
efforts to ensure the protection of this fundamental right, he argues. “Copyright violators pay no
tax whatsoever. Every Thai baht spent on products that violate copyright laws provides financial
support to organized crime and deprives the government of important resources that could be
used for the welfare of society,” he concludes.
On the occasion of the Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, he recommends that intellectual property rights and the rights to culture of
each community, regardless of their geographical location, be further protected.
120 Dignity and Justice for All of Us
