Strong Negative Reaction to the Campus IPR Action Plan Caused the MOE to Do a U-Turn on the Policy by Controlling Campus Network Flow.

　It is reported that the Ministry of Education (MOE) is pressured by the US government into holding IPR awareness test on all university freshmen in next semester and will not issue library cards to those who fail the test.  Also, colleges/universities are requested to conduct periodic inspections on school computers to monitor students’ use of computers; the accomplishment of campus IPR protection will provide a reference for academic evaluation and subsidy grant programs.  These measures are so disturbing and drastic to all levels of schools that the implementation of the proposed IPR action plan and the IPR awareness test remain uncertain.  As for the possible practice of holding the library card from those fail the test, the MOE indicates that it is within the schools’ discretion, and also takes a mild policy of controlling campus network flow rather than inspection on school computers. 

　The MOE in the “Three Years IPR Action Plan” states that this plan is constituted as a positive response to the March 2007 official letter issued by Mr. Timothy Stratford, the Assistant US Trade Representative, which required Taiwan government to put into effect campus IPR protection.  To fulfill this objective, an inter-entity task force is formulated to draft this Action Plan while this Plan must go through more discussion and opinions gathering before its finalization, said the MOE official.

　Reports indicates that representatives from AIT, MPA-Taiwan, BSA, and IFPI who attended the first two IPR meetings held by the MOE all see this practice as a promising start for campus IPR awareness promotion in Taiwan. 

　According to the implementation items of the Campus IPR Action Plan, colleges/universities are required to:
1. issue library cards and computer account number to the freshmen who pass the IPR awareness test;
2. establish a guidance office in schools and formulate a reward/punishment system to discipline the students who commit text piracy;
3. conduct periodic (random) inspection on the computer equipment of the administrative, academic, and research divisions in schools;
4. formulate “Principles of Handling Suspect IPR Infringements”
5. receive and cooperate with the periodic inspection visit paid by the MOE for improvement and review of campus IPR protection practices;
6. fulfill and promote campus IPR protection practices to avail performance in academic affairs evaluation and the subsidy grant program for public/private schools.
(2007.07) 

/CCS