USA for Innovation to Release Video Message to People of Thailand Via Google YouTube Service

USA for Innovation to Release Video Message to People of Thailand Via Google YouTube Service

April 27, 2007

Military Regime Continues to Censor Free Speech in
Thailand

    WASHINGTON, April 27 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- USA for
Innovation's Executive Director Ken Adelman will today
release a message to the people of Thailand regarding the
importance of innovation and concerns about the Thai
Government's recent endorsement of theft of American
intellectual property.  

    This message will be available via Google's YouTube
service this afternoon beginning at 3:00pm PT at the USA
for Innovation YouTube website:

    http://www.youtube.com/usaforinnovation

    USA for Innovation will also release a transcript of
the video via press release to the more than 65 million
people who access the Internet in Thailand.  In early
April, Thailand's government censored all speech from
YouTube, blocking access to Google's video service through
controls imposed by the government's Ministry of
Information and Technology.  

    Background on Thai government blocking access to
YouTube

    On September 19, 2006 a new government came to power in
Thailand by military coup.  Earlier this month, the
government took steps to block access to YouTube because it
viewed videos presenting content related to the Thai
government as offensive.

    Links to a sample collection of media coverage on the
Thai government's censorship of YouTube are available
below:

     - "YouTube Blackout Raises Concern Over Expanding
Censorship in 
       Thailand," World Politics Watch, April 17,
2007
       http://worldpoliticswatch.com/article.aspx?id=706
     - "When YouTube is a Threat," International
Herald Tribune, 
       April 22, 2007
      
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/22/news/youtube.php
     - "Thailand Persistent on Removal of YouTube
Clips," The Economic Times 
       [India], April 12, 2007
      
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1899600.cms

    About USA for Innovation

    USA for Innovation is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the protection of intellectual property and
continued innovation around the globe. USA for Innovation
educates decision makers, the media and general public
about threats to innovation. For additional information,
please contact us at 866-646-8668 or
[e-mail].

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other company and product names may be trademarks of the
respective companies with which they are associated.


    For more information, please contact: 

     USA for Innovation
     Tel:   [phone]
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