Movie buffs are snapping up cheap DVDs and VCDs of classic Hollywood movies released before 1965, because as of tomorrow, the sale of reproductions of unauthorized versions of overseas films will be banned, in accordance with WTO rules.
Taiwan's first Copyright Law (
Many companies have continued to reproduce these films and distribute them, without having to obtain the permission of the copyright holders.
However, WTO regulations require member countries to retroactively apply copyright protection for such media, including movies, music discs and comic books within two years of joining the world trade body.
REVISIONS
The government revised the Copyright Law to comply with the WTO's rules, and announced the amendment on July 10 last year, giving a one year grace period before the law would take effect.
Violators of the amendment will be sentenced to three years in prison, or fines of up to NT$750,000.
To take advantage of this last-minute opportunity, movie lovers have been snatching up low-priced duplicates of the films, making the products the hottest item in the market, said a cashier of Chien Le Record in Taipei's Kuanghwa Market (
The record shop charges NT$39 apiece for DVDs, including such films as Psycho, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and other Oscar-winning hits.
"Half of our stocks are gone, and I believe the shelf will be emptied by Saturday," said the cashier.
"People don't want to spend 20 times the amount the money to buy the same products," the cashier said.
WIDE EFFECT
Ann Chien, a director at DVD manufacturer AV Book Corp, which sells 100 classic DVDs for NT$7,700, said the company usually receives about 100 orders on a normal day, but is now getting triple that amount of business as the deadline approaches.
The same shopping rush also hit online shopping sites. Online bookseller books.com.tw's "Oscar classics" film collections, which contain 10 DVDs each for NT$349 per set, have been sold out.
Meanwhile, PC Home Online's shopping site sells 100 DVDs for NT$2,999, and it has also seen huge orders these days, said Joyce Tzeng (曾淑華), a public relations associate manager for the company.
However, the owner of Hsing Chu, another store in Kuanghwa Market, said the shopping spree is unnecessary, as authorized products will not be as pricey as most people expect, as many legal DVDs only cost from NT$99 to NT$199.
"I would rather spend a bit more on quality products ... I get really pissed off when the picture of these poor-quality DVDs gets stuck every time," he said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COVETED PRIZE: The US president would be a peace prize laureate should he persuade Xi Jinping to abandon military aggression against Taiwan, William Lai said US President Donald Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize should he be able to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to abandon the use of force against Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) told a conservative US radio show and podcast in an interview. The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer, despite the absence of formal ties, but since Trump took office earlier this year he has not announced any new arms sales to the nation. Trump could meet Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Lai, speaking on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS