OD MICROSCOPE TAKES ON LARGE-SCALE PIRACY

UNCLAS BANGKOK 004983

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

USDOC FOR JKELLY, SWILSON
USDOC PASS USPTO FOR PFOWLER

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KIPR TH
SUBJECT: OD MICROSCOPE TAKES ON LARGE-SCALE PIRACY


(U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please handle
accordingly.


1. (U) Summary: At an August 7 media event, the Royal Thai Police
(RTP) unveiled a USG-provided optical disc forensics microscope.
The microscope will be used to identify the source of pirated
optical discs and produce evidence to be used in prosecution of
copyright infringers. The microscope promises to aid police in
tracking down large-scale piracy operations, but a shift in
production toward small scale CD and DVD burning may limit its
impact. End Summary.


2. (U) Embassy Bangkok procured and donated an optical disc (OD)
forensic microscope, originally designed by the International
Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI),and arranged for its
installation at Royal Thai Police headquarters. The new OD
forensics lab is based on the same principal behind forensic
ballistic investigations. Each mould used in manufacturing optical
discs contains almost imperceptible flaws, which are replicated onto
each disc during the manufacturing process. With technical
precision, the forensic microscope can detect these telltale marks
on pirated discs, which can be compared with discs from factories
around the region to determine the origin of the discs. IFPI
representatives briefed judges and prosecutors at the Intellectual
Property Court on the operation of the microscope and received
positive signals that evidence produced from the lab could be used
in prosecutions against copyright infringers.


3. (U) Key to the lab's installation was a joint operation earlier
in the year by police and Department of Intellectual Property
officials to obtain exemplar discs from each registered
manufacturing line in the country. A set of exemplars now resides
with the optical disc forensics lab, another was handed over to IFPI
for use in their London office. IFPI reps hoped to be able to trace
seized optical discs in Europe and other ports back to manufacturers
in Thailand.


4. (SBU) The forensics lab reportedly had its first success soon
after installation. During a training exercise, police forensics
officials discovered a match between a recently seized pirate CD and
the exemplar from a CD manufacturer. Of note was the factory's
registered owner, a local politician with a somewhat unsavory
reputation who has been linked to various shady enterprises.
Whether police have the fortitude to take on well-connected factory
owners such as this one remains to be seen.

Too little, too late?
--------------


5. (U) IFPI statistics show that production of pirated CDs is
shifting from high production factories to small-scale CD/DVD
burners, whose source cannot be traced. 80 percent of the pirated
discs seized in raids in Thailand this year were home-made by CD/DVD
burners, from a 50/50 share between factory-made discs and home-made
discs only a year ago. This signals a rough path for enforcement in
the future. CD/DVD burners can be set up anywhere and are much
harder to track down than factories. Declining prices of CD/DVD
burners and blank discs is helping drive the increase in the number
of home-made illegal discs on the market.


6. (U) Local reps for the Motion Picture Association noted that
retail piracy shops have begun to keep DVD burners in their stores,
rather than a ready stash of illegal discs supplied by factories and
their distributors. Retailers hold legitimate products and copy
them when they receive a customer order, so that there is no
evidence for law enforcement officials to discover on raids and no
product to be seized.


7. (U) Comment: The forensic microscope promises to be a
significant tool in prosecution of large-scale optical disc pirates,
but the long-term effect may be simply to bring about a shift in
piracy methods. If illegal home-made discs eventually replace
factory-made discs in the piracy market the machine will lose some
of its value, though putting a dent in large-scale piracy will help
to bring down supply in Thailand and curtail exports to other
countries. End Comment.

BOYCE