New York City Sues Bangkok For Copyright Infringement
The City of New York has just announced that it is suing the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for US$200 million in damages. In a press release issued this morning, NYC’s legal department stated:
“Bangkok has caused irreparable damage to New York’s tourism industry and its overall reputation by opening dozens of restaurants and cafés modeled after our own establishments. This encourages those seeking the famous Big Apple experience to come get it for less in Bangkok. This is tourism dumping and a breach of current WTO agreements.”
The announcement goes on to identify Minibar Royale as the beginning of this trend, which then spread rapidly among the well-to-do neighborhoods of the city, even popping up in the occasional suburb of Krungthep. A source at the US Embassy who wished to remain anonymous due to the highly tense ongoing negotiations told us: “Today, you can’t toss a bagel in Bangkok without hitting a café called Soho or Chelsey that does eggs benedict, has exposed bricks painted white, pine wood tables and bolted steel beams.”
A group of hipsters in Williamsbug, NYC, were believed to be behind the legal claim, citing a large drop in tourist arrivals from Asia as evidence. Jade Buxley, a bearded 32-year-old with a James Dean haircut, floral shirt and tattooed sleeves, told reporters, “Why would people bother coming to see the real thing? They can get all this stuff in Bangkok for a fraction of the price. If tourists don’t come back, I might lose my job as a barista-slash-barber.”
Kritty Boomsirimongkorn, a partner at Hare & Tortoise Café, said he hoped the BMA would vigorously fight back: “I don’t see the problem. My place is a complete rip-off of another place that opened three months ago two sois down from here. I’ve never even been to New York. How could I copy anything from there!”
Every Sunday, social media streams in Bangkok are flooded with pictures of waffles and lattes taken in Thonglor and Phloenchit. “I don’t even like this food. It’s greasy and kind of gross. But I feel lame if I’m not having a NYC brunch,” Pancake Ladatira, 21, told us as she tucked into an overcooked sausage. “I can’t wait for this trend to be over.”
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