Litigation of U.S. Trade Representatives Visit Taiwan, Impressed by its Protecting Intellectual Property Rights; same time Expressed 4 Subjects of Concerns.

Litigation of U.S. trade representatives led by assistant U.S. trade, Charles Freeman, arrived Taiwan last night (20 July).  We intend to make a description of how we have set up Intellectual Property Specialized Courts and issued professional certificates to judges.  Further, for the purpose of demonstrating our willingness to resume the talks on signing Taiwan –U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), we prepare to make a concession and allow a 5-year protection period granted for the exclusive protection over pharmaceutical data following the lift of the criteria for fixed net work applications in the telecommunication market.  Charles Freeman and other U.S. representatives arrived Taiwan last night and met our government officials. Charles Freeman showed their concern in regard to opening our market for rice, intellectual property rights, pharmaceuticals and telecommunication.

Regarding the intellectual property rights, Charles Freeman showed his concerned on the relatively high rate of counterfeit cases in Taiwan, effort to clamp down on pirated laser discs and the minimum penalty imposed.  In response to this, the Economic Minister, Ho Mei-Yueh demonstrated with physical evidences and figures for our government’s active conducts on the clamping down on manufacturers of counterfeits, and protecting the intellectual property rights, further submitted an actual fact that a manufacturer of pirated laserl discs got sentenced to an imprisonment of more than six months.  Apart from this, the Legislative Yuan is currently revising the Copy Right Law with the revision aspects meeting the U.S. expectations; confirming that within three month time, police groups that protect intellectual property right will be formed and have law-based control under the NPA (National Police Administration)’s second Police Group; whereas the Judicial Yuan has also planned and prepared to set up Intellectual Property Right Specialized Courts to handle cases with regard to Intellectual Property Rights.  The courts are expected to be set up with in three years.  Regarding to government’s positive acts on protecting the intellectual property rights, Charles Freeman was impressed by our government ‘s active actions, and said that they would take those relevant statistics and information gathered from this meeting and have further review on the issue back in the U.S., use it as a reference for the irregular review on “special 301 priority watch list” in September. (2004.7)

CYJ/SH