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Playing music in parks will no longer be copyright infringement

Amendments to Copyright Law means people will be free to play music on devices in parks

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Playing music in parks will not be an intellectual property rights issue any more. (CNA photo)

Playing music in parks will not be an intellectual property rights issue any more. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI ( Taiwan News) -Playing music in Taiwan's parks will no longer constitute an infringement of the Copyright Act, after seven major amendments were passed at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday (April 8).

The amendments mean that people will be able to play music on devices at parks without worrying about copyright infringement. It is the biggest change in the law for 20 years.

The Cabinet passed the draft amendments to articles in both the Copyright Act and Copyright Collective Management Organization Act. The new-look laws will be sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation.

A Ministry of Economic Affairs statement said the amendments would redefine the scope of “public broadcasting” and “public transmission.” Second, they would add the right of rebroadcasting or retransmission.

Third, they would allow more "fair use" of cultural inheritance to promote cultural assets and make them more accessible to the public. Fourth, there would be a compulsory licensing requirement added for unknown owners of copyrighted works.

Finally, advertising online of pirated products will be deemed an infringement, according to the new law.