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DE RUEHIN #2005/01 2430932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310932Z AUG 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6618
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002005 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO AIT/W 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC and EB/TPP/IPE 
STATE ALSO PASS USTR FOR BOLLYKY/ALTBACH 
US DOC FOR ITA KOREAN/TAIWAN AFFAIRS BRENDA CARTER-NIXON AND 
MIKE CHOI 
 
SIPDIS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIPR ECON ETRD USTR TW
SUBJECT: AHOY, MATEY - BOOK PIRATES STILL IN TAIWAN 
 
REF: TAIPEI 0001710 
 
TAIPEI 00002005  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) By nearly all accounts textbook piracy is less rampant and 
less visible in Taiwan than it was in the 1990s, but it continues to 
be a problem.  A recent survey found that over 50  of Taiwan's 
college students buy pirated books, but law enforcement officials, 
faculty and students say the scale of piracy has decreased and 
blatant violations less common.  Book publishers, however, point to 
declining sales and claim piracy has merely moved underground.  Will 
the Ministry of Education's IP Action Plan make a difference?  End 
Summary. 
 
The Good Old Days are Gone 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The 1990's were golden days for pirated books on Taiwan's 
university campuses.  Pirated editions of textbooks and 
supplementary materials were openly available on and around campus. 
Copy shops often kept copied books on hand and provided entire 
classes with pirated books. Some professors even supported copying 
by providing original material for students to copy. These days are 
gone, but still most Taiwan students are buying at least some 
pirated versions of books and supplementary materials. 
 
¶3. (U) Dr. Po-Chung Chuang, an assistant professor of mass 
coQunications at Chinese Culture University, conducted a survey on 
textbook piracy this past school year. Of the 800 college freshmen 
and sophomores from northern Taiwan in the sample, more than half 
(50.6 percent) admitted to buying pirated textbooks. Dr. Chuang's 
survey found that the vast majority of students who buy pirated 
books do so because they believe books are too expensive.  A number 
of university students around Taipei confirmed to econoff that this 
was the case.  They wanted to save money, they said, and some 
pointed out that Taiwan does not have a system where students can 
purchase used books for their classes. 
 
A Moral Question 
---------------- 
¶4. (U) According to Professor Chuang's survey, almost all students 
know that copying texts is illegal, but continue to believe pirating 
copyrighted materials is not morally wrong.  It is not only students 
who share that sentiment.  At the August 8th meeting of the Ministry 
of Education (MOE) campus IPR working group, one faculty 
representative accused the MOE of infringing on academic freedom by 
targeting IPR violations at Taiwan universities. When MOE's draft 
Intellectual Property Action Plan was announced to the public a 
number of professors from prominent universities also harshly 
criticized the MOE's plan in a media frenzy. reftel Although the 
final plan has not been released, MOE has hinted that it will 
substantially weaken the plan in the face of this strong public 
reaction. 
 
Piracy Level Dropping... 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Informal conversations with students reveal a particular 
pattern of piracy.  All of the students who spoke with econoff had 
at some point purchased pirated material.  They noted however, that 
today the vast majority of students purchase legitimate copies of 
the course primary textbook, but are much more likely to buy pirated 
versions of solution manuals, workbooks, and books that are hard to 
find in campus bookstores.  Dr. Chuang agreed, telling econoff 
students usually buy legitimate editions of books they value and 
expect to use in the future.  Interestingly, Chuang believes that 
because many professors are now using Chinese-language textbooks 
instead of more expensive English-language textbooks, students are 
better able to afford the books. 
 
...And the Intellectual Property Police Want Some Credit 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Taiwan IP Police Squadron Leader Stephen Su said increased 
police enforcement and raids have greatly reduced the amount of 
physical copying on and around campuses.  In his opinion, on-campus 
shops violate IPR laws much less frequently now. He admits there are 
still off-campus copy shops with underground operations, but he 
thinks this in itself means there has been a decrease in activity. 
 
 
¶7. (U) Raids conducted across Taiwan in March of 2007, for example, 
found little printed material in off-campus copy shops, but did 
discover some electronic source files for books.  Squadron Leader Su 
said copy shops no longer keep pirated material in stock, only 
 
TAIPEI 00002005  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
printing it when ordered. The IP Police have seen an increase in the 
number of electronic book files available for illegal download, and 
believe that shops are now printing selections and course-packs for 
students from electronic source files. 
 
...but Publishers' Sales Still Falling 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Golden Hong, Taiwan Book Publishers' Association (TBPA) 
Chairperson and Pearson Education's Vice President for North Asia, 
told AIT that member publishers continue to see declining textbook 
sales in all categories, and believe this is largely due to 
continued piracy.  He is satisfied with the efforts of the 
Intellectual Property Police and said that increased enforcement, 
has forced shops underground, making it only appear that the 
situation has improved.  He believes shops now establish orders 
through representatives on campus and standing student 
relationships, then deliver books directly to customers.  TBPA's 
evidence for this, however, is only anecdotal.  Hong said that when 
shops operate under this model, pirated books are only exposed to 
detection for a short period of time, leaving little chance for 
police or rights-holders to pursue the copiers.  TBPA declined 
econoff's request to be shown one of these shops, suggesting instead 
that we ask students or police to point out these difficult-to-find 
shops.  What needs to happen, he says, is for professors to ban 
pirated books from their classrooms, rather than increased 
enforcement. 
 
¶9. (SBU) IP Police Squadron Leader Su admitted that there are limits 
to what the IP Police can do to crack down on book piracy.  Due to 
the limits in their search powers, they can only raid shops after a 
complaint from the rightsholder. He added, however, that if the TBPA 
believes underground shops are a major problem, book publishers need 
to be more active in helping the IP Police locate the shops, like 
the music and film industries have been in locating DVD factories. 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Although the golden days for book pirates may have passed, 
students are still purchasing pirated books in large numbers.  An 
effective IP action plan from the Ministry of Education and 
participation from rightsholders will be key in addressing the 
problem.  Unless the MOE is prepared to create incentives for 
universities to take action expect very little change.  End 
Comment. 
 
Wang