Yu Instructs Intensive Progress on IPR Enforcement

INTELLECTUL PROPERTY OFFICE 
March 04, 2003

With deep concern on intellectual property protection, Premier Yu called for a meeting on evening of March 3, 2003 to discuss IPR protection and enforcement schemes from all relevant government agencies. 

The Premier has concluded the meeting by instructing implementation on the following topics:

1. To avoid possible misunderstanding and obstacles, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs shall constantly forward Taiwan's updates on IPR protection and enforcement to foreign offices;
    

2. To facilitate adequate legislations, the Amendments to the Copyright Law and the Optical Disk Law shall be promptly proposed to the Executive Yuan by March 12 and to the Legislative Yuan by March 15, 2003;
    

3. The MOEA shall propose a plan, which allows civilian substitute service to assist inspections on optical disk factories;
    

4. The MOEA shall raise the reward for general public on reporting illegal optical disk factories to up to NT$10 millions. The Central Personnel Administration shall also draft a reward program to stimulate and dedicate those officers who have devoted into IPR protection and enforcement;
    

5. To safeguard the exportation of pirated optical disks, the Ministry of Finance shall establish a committee that exclusively govern the export and import of pirated optical disks via raising the inspection rate by 100 per cent. MOF shall also fully implement the "Management of Exporting Pirated Optical Disks," a mechanism to be entered into force as of March 6, 2003 on wiping out piracy. 
    

6. For those infringements conducted via Internet, flyers and night markets, the listed steps are to be followed, and substantive reports are to be filed on a monthly basis:
    
   a) Night markets: The National Police Administration shall be sending additional and adequate officers to facilitate continuous inspections and crackdowns to escort piracy from night markets;
    
   b) Flyers: A committee with a goal of catching 50 cases will be formed to exclusively tackle those IPR infringers distributing pirated goods via flyers;
    
   c) Internet: The NPA will extend its scope of the "ClearNet Project" and has set its goal of cracking down 30 piracy websites.

At last, the Premier emphasized that the issue of IPR protection is critical to our economic growth and national competence. He instructed all agencies to share its part as a whole on fighting against IPR infringements, especially on illegal optical disks, and that review meetings will be held intensively for progress improvement so that tangible effect on stopping IPR infringements can be demonstrated.