Online Infringement Cases Increased by 40% during the First Six Months of 2007 over The Same Period Last Year. Over 70% of the Perpetrators Are Aged 18 ~ 25.

　According to the survey conducted by the Intellectual Property Rights Police Team (IPRP), the IPRP exposed a total of 926 online infringement cases during the first half of this year, accounting for 86% of all types of infringement cases handled by the IPRP during the said period and a 42% increase over the same period last year.  The IPRP also found that over 77% of the perpetrators are between 18 and 25 years of age.  Obviously online infringement has emerged as the primary type of infringement.

　According to the Taiwan IPO, online infringement has evolved from online distribution of pirated copies to unauthorized download through blogs or transmission by email.  The most serious problem is that many youths are not ware they are breaking the law every day.

　The Taiwan IPO said the most common type of online infringing act is downloading music, films or software on the Internet without authorization and copying such unauthorized work into their personal computer.  Such act involves violation of the copyright holder’s right to and in the reproduction of his/her work protected by the Copyright Act.

　Another mostly seen type of online infringing act is uploading unauthorized files onto the personal site or blog for free link, preview, or download by others or transmitting such unauthorized files (including articles, pictures, music or films) by email in violation of the copyright holder’s right to the public transmission of his/her work.

　Some have grafted another person’s copyright work without the copyright holder’s prior consent.  Such act may involve violation of the copyright holder’s right to and in the adaptation and/or compilation of his/her work protected under Article 28 and 92 of the Copyright Act.

　According to the IPRP’s record, the number of perpetrators busted by the police for selling pirated copyright work is decreasing.  The number of online infringement cases exposed by the police, however, has increased from 769 in 2005 to 1,596 in 2006.  For the first six months of 2007, the number has increased by 42% over the same period last year.  According to the Taiwan IPO, the Internet is characterized by, among others, fast transmission and easy sharing and such advantages have contributed to multiplication of infringing acts and in response, many countries have adopted harsher punishment.

　The Taoyuan District Court granted a handsome award against an online distributor of pirated software in June.  In addition to serving two years in prison, the perpetrator is to pay TWD740 million to the copyright holders, which is 247 folds of the sum of the illegal profit he earned.  (2007.7)

/EMA