US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4337

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004337 
 
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. 
 
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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