TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The economics ministry said increased copyright protections will be enacted when Taiwan gains CPTPP membership, after the US expressed concern about Taiwan’s digital piracy record.
The Office of the US Trade Representative published a report on Tuesday expressing concern over “widespread” copyright infringement in Taiwan, and other barriers to US trade worldwide. It said amendments passed by the legislature in 2019 and 2022 that would allow prosecution and fines for copyright infringement have not been enacted.
In response, the ministry’s Intellectual Property Office said the copyright act was amended with measures for fines and public prosecutions to promote Taiwan’s CPTPP membership application, per CNA. It said these amendments will be enacted according to the Cabinet’s schedule, which will be determined in conjunction with Taiwan joining the CPTPP.
There is no guarantee Taiwan’s CPTPP application will be granted, and the last meeting of the group's 11 members put the bid on hold. Taiwan applied to join the trade agreement a week after China in 2021, and while China’s application has also not been approved, it has opposed Taiwan joining.
The US trade office report also said US copyright holders were concerned about “unauthorized use of textbooks and copyrighted teaching materials, particularly via on-campus digital platforms.”
The intellectual property office said that the education ministry established an inter-ministerial advisory group to address pirated textbooks. It said this group includes copyright holders and promotes respect for copyright among students.
The office said most pirated textbooks in Taiwan are found on overseas websites and infringe foreign copyrights. It said Taiwanese law enforcement could ask courts to make internet companies block overseas websites with pirated textbooks.
The US trade office report comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration prepares to roll out tariffs worldwide. The tariffs aim to match other countries' tariff rates and compensate the US for non-tariff barriers, per Reuters.
The report’s Taiwan section also identified barriers to trade related to automobiles, food, financial services, investment, inspections, pharmaceuticals, and other areas.
