Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio

On the Quarterly Report on Intellectual Property Rights Protection (January-March 2018) addressing the advances of Taiwan on Intellectual Property Rights Protection, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) highlighted bilateral cooperation between the TIPO and other authorities. Thus, on this report the TIPO presented the MOU that it signed with the EUIPO under which the two offices will jointly push for cooperation in areas such as integration of information tools, personnel training, expert meetings, and harmonization of best practices. Likewise, the TIPO exposed the Taiwan-Canada Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Mottainai program launched in February, through which , after applicants apply for patents for the same invention in both countries, when they get positive examination results from either patent office, they are eligible to file a PPH request at the other office, thereby accelerating examination process.

Regarding, the legislative amendments, the Report featured the Guidelines on the Hearing System for Patent Invalidation Cases, including guidance about procedures, requirements, statements conditions, and general characteristics on Hearings for Patent Invalidation Cases.  

Moreover, the report raised attention on the latest news related to TIPO. Thereby, it presented facts associated with the second public hearing on draft amendments to the Patent Act. It also, pointed out that TIPO updated the Taiwan-Japan Concordance of Similar Group Codes, as well as the Cross-strait Concordance of Similar Group of Codes on its website. It exposed that TIPO expanded the IPR Action Plan section on its website. The report also, discussed about TIPO releases, noting that TIPO published its patent and industrial report concerning the Internet of Vehicles, as well as an analysis report on trends regarding FinTech patents. Furthermore, the TIPO report talked over Ministry of Education (MOE) actualities, mentioning that the MOE had set up a report mechanism for suspected IP infringement on campus, as well as the MOE had set up an email address for reporting Taiwan Academic Network-related IP infringement offences.

Additionally, the Report presented the law enforcement results and statistics. In this regard, the Report featured the number of 1,026 IPR Infringement cases with the amount of money lost as result reaching NT$907.07 million. Regarding the above, the Report highlighted the case of frame-up infringements of a trademark for glasses in Taiwan. Concerning International exchanges, the TIPO Report informed about visits to the Criminal Investigation Brigade from representatives of associations such as the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, and the Taiwan Book Publishers Association, among others, who thank the team for its efforts in cracking down fake products. Furthermore, the Report confirmed that from January to March 2018 the Joint Optical Disk Enforcement Taskforce (JODE) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has conducted 67 inspections on OD factories.

In relation to the Customs Administration, the Report demonstrated that from January to March 2018, there were 14 trademark infringement cases lodged either by a complaint or by an advice at the customs. In this regard, on the one hand, Taipei Customs uncovered 240 fake G-SHOCK watches in January 2018; as well as 360 fake Dior Addict lipsticks and 1,705 pairs of fake Fila glasses in February of the same year. On the other, Keelung Customs uncovered 29,062 fake Totoro dolls imported by sea freight in January and February 2018. Relating to international exchanges, the Report stressed the assistance of 25 officials to the Seminar “Trademark Infringement Determinations in a Border Enforcement Context” in Papua New Guinea, and spotted the information pieces that Customs Administration provided to customs authorities of other countries.

In addition, the Report presented numbers from the District Prosecutors’ Offices of the Ministry of Justice, stressing that in 2018, they have uncovered eight photocopying stores on campus and off campus, involved in illegal photocopy activities. Likewise, the Report informed that the District Prosecutors’ Offices in Taiwan have investigated and closed 452 cases suspected of IPR infringement, involving 483 suspects.

Finally, the Report presented the IPR Awareness campaigns organized by the Customs Administration on counterfeit goods at the customs, by the Ministry of Education on promotion of the Campus IPR Action Plan, and by the Ministry of Culture to protect cinematic works.