A member of the Legislative Yuan is using a government computer to send out e-mails that advertise the sale of counterfeit merchandise, including pornography, Taipei City councilors alleged yesterday.
DPP City Councilors Tuan Yi-kang (
Tuan said his office received an Aug. 16 e-mail that offered counterfeit products, such as computer software, movies, music CDs and pornographic films.
By using the e-mail's domain name server information, Tuan was able to look up the owner of the server from where the message originated, tracing it back to the Legislative Yuan.
"The inquiry leads to an account registered under the Legislative Yuan," Tuan said. "What's even more ridiculous is that the Legislative Yuan flatly denied it after we confronted them."
Tuan said that the account belongs to a PFP lawmaker, though the city councilor refused to name the legislator.
"I suspect this person is trying to raise funds for the year-end legislative elections," Tuan said.
The city councilor has provided information concerning the solicitation to Chang Chiang-liang (
Chang promised to launch an investigation and locate the seller within two weeks.
"We're determined to crack down on cyber-crime, especially those violating the Copyright Law or the Child and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act," he said.
According to the latter act, those caught selling sexual or obscene material involving people under the age of 18 could face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to NT$5 million.
Those caught making counterfeit publications face a jail term of up to three years, in addition to fines of up to NT$200,000, according to the Copyright Law.
For selling selling counterfeit publications, the sentence can be up to five years in prison and a fine as high as NT$300,000.
Approximately 35 percent of reported Internet-related crimes last year were related to pornographic Web sites. Twenty-two percent dealt with the peddling of counterfeit CDs.
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