US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI1705

UNCLAS TAIPEI 001705 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC AND EB/TPP/IPC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIPR, ECON, TW, IPR 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN CUSTOMS OFFICERS GET NINTENDO TRAINING 
 
REF: A. 04 TAIPEI 4066 
     B. TAIPEI 936 
 
 1.  Following the disbanding of the Export Monitoring System 
(EMS) on December 31, 2004, entertainment software companies 
have been concerned that Taiwan Customs would be unable and 
unwilling to take action to protect intellectual property to 
the same standard as the EMS.  At the urging of AIT, Taiwan 
Customs conducted a series of training sessions on March 29 
at the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport for 160 Customs 
officers responsible for inspections of airfreight and 
general cargo in an attempt to mitigate the concerns of the 
entertainment software industry.  Training on how to 
recognize counterfeit Nintendo products was conducted by 
Nintendo representatives from Shay & Partners.  Officers were 
instructed how to identify counterfeit game products by use 
of various security features as well as by looking for 
obvious clues such as multiple games on one cartridge. 
Customs officers said before the training that they had 
seized four shipments of counterfeit Nintendo products in 
March. 
 
2.  Customs officers said the training was helpful in giving 
them the technical background necessary to recognize obvious 
fakes and were eager to receive equipment promised from 
Nintendo that would help them to identify less obvious 
counterfeits.  Even before the training, Taiwan Customs has 
recently confiscatated a number of counterfeit game products, 
including four seizures in March of Nintendo products, 
totaling over 2000 items.  Over 1000 fake Nintendo game 
cartridges were seized by Taiwan Customs on March 27.  In 
March, Customs officials also seized eleven shipments of 
counterfeit Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) games and ten shipments 
of counterfeit DVDs totaling 767 items. 
 
3.  The Export Management System (EMS) annual budget of 
almost US$750,000 continues to be used to support anti-piracy 
activities.  Approximately 80 percent has been earmarked for 
upgrading computers and other technical equipment used by 
Taiwan's IP Police.  The remainder will be used to fund 
travel to study other regional IP enforcement regimes. 
 
4.  The March 29 session continues Taiwan Custom's recent 
emphasis on training.  In 2004, Taiwan Customs held 12 
IPR-related workshops to train 870 officers.  Training 
included presentations by Microsoft on recognizing 
counterfeit software and by Pfizer on counterfeit drug 
packaging.  Eight additional workshops are planned for April 
and May to train Customs officers to identify fake tobacco 
and alcohol products.  Customs officials tell AIT the vast 
majority of counterfeit products found are intercepted in 
transit from Hong Kong, many presumably originating in China. 
 Interception of counterfeit products being exported directly 
from Taiwan is reportedly rare. 
KEEGAN