Publishing fines suspended, revised

The Government Information Office (GIO) yesterday announced suspending penalties of the Measures Governing the Rating Systems of Publications and Pre-recorded Video Programs (出版品及錄影節目帶分級辦法) owing to publishers' harsh criticism that the law's rating criteria is too vague and the punishment is too severe.

"The GIO has decided to put off the implementation until July 1, next year," said GIO head Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).

According to the law, audio or video programs carrying restricted content should not be made available to audiences under the age of 18. Books and audio publications are rated into two categories: general and restricted. Restricted content for books and audio publications is defined as material containing "over-description" of such criminal behavior as killing, kidnapping or drug dealing; "over-portraying" of the process of suicide; "dramatic depiction" of violent, bloody or deviant scenes that are acceptable to general adult audiences and language, conversation, sounds, pictures or graphic portrayal of sexual behavior, obscene plots or bare human sex organs -- but not abhorrent for adult audiences. Violators will be subject to fines of up to NT$500,000.