GRAND SPORT ANNOUNCES FIRST ANTI-PIRACY BUDGET

       Grand Sport Group has set a budget for the first time to prevent pirating of its sportswear, as the problem has grown serious.
       "Without the preventive measures, we might lose 20 per cent of our sales or about Bt20 million to Bt30 million a year," president Suchada Nimakorn said yesterday.
       The company has spent about Bt10 million to set up an investigation team to monitor sellers nationwide and hire lawyers to help push legal cases against pirates.
       The company planned to grow 20 per cent this year to Bt800 million, but the surge in counterfeit products from last year until early this year is pulling down its sales target.
       The company's sales should be enjoying growth of more than 30 per cent, she said.
       The problem of pirated products is more serious than the economic slowdown, she said.
       The slump did not spill over to the sportswear business much because of government support for sports and the public's fever for the Thai Premier League.
       Grand Sport is the first local company to join with the Commerce Ministry in informing apparel makers and sellers nationwide about the Copyrights Act and Trademark Act, she said.
       "We have to protect Thai brands' rights before it's too late. This is also our preparation to serve the rising demand from sports-related persons because they have to prepare teams for the coming season's tournaments," she said.
       Grand Sport plans to increase production capacity by 20-30 per cent in response to the move, while 10 apparel factories are interested in producing sportswear for the company.
       "After holding a seminar to educate our sellers about pirated products, we'll start talking with the apparel makers to produce sportswear," she said.
       Sportswear accounts for 80 per cent of Grand Sport's sales and athletic equipment 20 per cent.
       The company targets 20 per cent in sales growth next year.