ASEAN exporters targeted in the US for IP violations

IP Komodo reported here on the possible use of US state unfair competition laws to target IP violators as competing unfairly. Some US states have such laws which assert that use of pirated software amounts to an unfair business practice. Now in the first case  against a foreign company, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office has fined a Thai seafood producer for exactly this. Narong Seafood Co has a business in Massachusetts. Microsoft filed a complaint that Narong used pirated software and Narong was fined $10,000. Narong has also had to conduct an internal audit.

Thai companies will probably take their US trade a bit more seriously in light of this, given it has made Thai news media, but the same now applies to all South East Asian exporters.  IP Komodo expects more cases.