Ekkachai Srivichai, singer, artist and film director, together with Ms. Mantana Changkaew (Lawyer Koi), legal representative from Movie Studio VIP Co., Ltd.
visited investigators at the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) to file a complaint against copyright infringers of the film "Sanplee Huan." This followed discoveries of widespread unauthorized online distribution of the film through illegal websites and various platforms.
Ekkachai said after meeting with ECD investigators that he brought evidence of copyright infringement involving seven websites. The infringement has been severe since the film's release on 5 February.
Nearly 20 websites posted the film online; some charged monthly membership fees, others embedded hidden gambling links. Each site reportedly received 8 to 10 million views, causing massive damage to the film industry. He believes that film studios nationwide face similar problems.
He also raised concerns about the leak of the film file, noting that the pirated versions are in 4K quality, not camcorder recordings. Normally, the film passes through editing, sound design, color grading, and CGI stages before distribution to cinemas via protected online systems or encrypted hard drives.
He questioned officials on how these master files leaked to online criminals and urged critics and the public to understand the challenges and over 10 million baht budget involved in film production. He condemned those who evade taxes and reside in countries with protective laws for profiting at creators' expense.
Furthermore, Ekkachai called on the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to take this issue seriously, emphasizing that influential and capable ministers should prevent cybercriminals from roaming freely and to demonstrate more tangible enforcement results.
He stressed that the damage affects not only individuals but also the entire entertainment industry and vowed to persist with legal actions despite police limitations due to legal constraints and workload.
Lawyer Koi stated that warning letters have been sent to the offending websites, and investigators were assigned to find the perpetrators, as authorities have better tools to access internet data.
The actions violate the Copyright Act, punishable by imprisonment from four months to six years and fines between 200,000 and 800,000 baht. The company will pursue civil lawsuits for damages based on website views and actual lost revenue from film screenings. Such cases can be filed anywhere since the crime occurs online.
Initially, investigators accepted the complaint and interviewed the victim before proceeding with legal action.
