Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TAIPEI4330
2005-10-25 08:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

TAIWAN TO ABOLISH THE ANTI-PIRACY COMMITTEE

Tags:  ETRD KIPR TW 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

250851Z Oct 05
UNCLAS TAIPEI 004330 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC AND EB/TPP/IPE, STATE PASS USTR AND
AIT/W, USTR FOR WINELAND AND WINTERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN TO ABOLISH THE ANTI-PIRACY COMMITTEE


UNCLAS TAIPEI 004330

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC AND EB/TPP/IPE, STATE PASS USTR AND
AIT/W, USTR FOR WINELAND AND WINTERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN TO ABOLISH THE ANTI-PIRACY COMMITTEE



1. This is an action request. See para 6.


2. Jack Lu (Wen-hsiang),Deputy Director General of the
Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO),requested a
meeting with AIT October 24 to relay TIPO's intention to
abolish the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee (ACC) and to
request U.S. comments. The ACC historically was the primary
body for coordinating Taiwan government anti-counterfeiting
activities. The duties of the ACC have been substantively
assumed by TIPO's International Affairs and General Planning
division since 1999.

=================
Background on ACC
=================


3. The ACC was created in 1981 by the Ministry of Economic
Affairs (MOEA) to coordinate inspection of counterfeit
products with the prosecutor's office, national police and
the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB). When
TIPO was officially established in 1999, the ACC moved from
the Board of Foreign Trade to TIPO. Over the past several
years, coordination of anti-counterfeiting activities has
been devolved to new groups, including the Coordination Task
Force for IP Enforcement in MOEA, the Coordination Plan for
IP Infringements Inspection of the Prosecutors Office of the
Taiwan High Court, and the IPR Police of the National Police
Agency. The ACC has become a liaison body within TIPO.


4. The ACC is now a part of section 4 of TIPO's
International Affairs and General Planning division. It no
longer has an independent budget, office or staff. TIPO
briefs MOEA Minister Ho Mei-yueh monthly on the status of
interagency coordination and is a regular participant in
coordination meetings with the Ministry of Justice. As the
ACC's functions have been taken on by other organizations,
MOEA plans to abolish the ACC as soon as January 1, 2006.


5. COMMENT: As the interagency coordination function of the
ACC has been assumed by TIPO and other bodies, AIT expects
the termination of the ACC will have no noticeable negative
impact on the IP enforcement activities of the Taiwan
government. When contacted by AIT, local stakeholders
including the Motion Picture Association and the
International Federation of Phonographic Industries had not
been briefed on the TIPO plan and requested additional time
to consider their response.


6. ACTION REQUEST: AIT requests comments from Washington
agencies on MOEA's proposal to abolish the ACC by December 1,

2005.
KEEGAN