Illegal Optical Disk Plant Hit Again

INTELLECTUL PROPERTY OFFICE 
March 22, 2003

Another underground optical disk plant was raided in Taipei County jointly by officers of the Aviation Police Bureau and prosecutor from the Taoyuan Prosecutors' Office in the early morning of March 22, 2003. Over 10,000 pieces of pornographic and computer game software optical disks were confiscated along with two injection molding machines, one color printer and over thousands of print screens and hundreds of stampers.

All said manufacturing devices have been taken part by technicians and relocated to the large seizure warehouse in Shenkeng. The actual quantity and monetary amount of infringements are now under estimation by both the police and relevant interest groups.

As a key factor contributing to this successful crackdown, the informer will be rewarded for at least NT$ one billion dollars, which was recently approved by the Premier Yu Shih-Kun to encourage tip-offs on illegal manufacturing plants. The ceremony, however, will be presented and the reward will be forwarded by relevant police officers, as the identity of the informer will be kept in confidentiality.

According to Deputy Director P. S. Chen of the Aviation Police Bureau, the bureau involves not only domestic enforcement actions, but also via border control, where a complete database on enforcement records of pirated optical disks has been set up to tightly monitor any exportation via courier services. It also stays closely with all tip-off information and relevant agencies to effectively protect intellectual property rights.

Encouraged by the magnitude of reward, many useful tip-offs have been picked up by prosecution offices and Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, which will shortly initiate enforcement actions. The Intellectual Property Office, TIPO, of MOEA would like to once more caution those underground infringers: "Don't under estimate the determination of the government to fight against IPR infringements."