Thai Broadcaster Wins Damages in Copyright Suit

LOS ANGELES: Bangkok Broadcasting & TV (BBTV), which operates Thai broadcaster Channel 7, has been awarded $8.3 million in damages by a U.S. court as part of a copyright infringement dispute with an IPTV platform.

The damages were awarded for willful copyright and trademark infringement by IPTV Corporation (ThaiTV.tv), BKT Group and its management: IPTV CEO Ron Petcha, owner Tip Petcha and president Noppadon Wongchaiwat. The case begin in 2009 when BBTV filed a complaint in a California court alleging that the defendants "illegally and willfully copied, sold and re-broadcast BBTV’s copyrighted programs bearing BBTV’s federally trademarked logo." The Thai broadcaster sought an injunction and damages against IPTV for advertising, marketing, selling and re-broadcasting its content on ThaiTV.tv.