A US software maker sued China and seven major computer makers — including Taiwanese firms — on Tuesday, alleging piracy of its Internet filtering software.
Cybersitter LLC, whose software is designed to help parents filter content seen by children, seeks US$2.2 billion in damages in the federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The company alleges that the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into software used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government.
Seven computer manufacturers — Taiwanese firms Acer (宏碁), Asustek (華碩) and BenQ (明基), Japanese firms Sony and Toshiba, and Chinese companies Lenovo (聯想) and Haier (海爾) — were also sued for distributing the Chinese program with PCs sold in the country.
“I don’t think I have ever seen such clear-cut stealing,” said attorney Gregory Fayer, who represents Santa Barbara-based Cybersitter.
He said the alleged piracy was discovered by a university researcher who posted a report on Internet filtering programs online.
Fayer said Chinese software makers appeared to have downloaded the program from the Cybersitter server and copied more than 3,000 lines of code, then incorporated it into their program, Green Dam Youth Escort.
“They did a sloppy job of copying,” Fayer said, adding that they included directions on how to get to the Cybersitter site.
Last year, the Chinese government issued an order requiring computer manufacturers to pre-install or supply “Green Dam Youth Escort” software with PCs made for sale in China.
China later backed down after a major outcry from Chinese citizens and computer companies. Although Chinese authorities had said the “Green Dam” system is needed to block access to violent and obscene material, analysts who reviewed the program say it also filters out material the government considers politically objectionable.
The lawsuit says that while the mandate was reversed, the computer makers continued to distribute Green Dam with its computers in China even after learning the software was pirated.
The complaint alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright infringement and conspiracy. It also claims the Chinese software makers broke US criminal laws governing economic espionage.
Fayer said that none of the defendants had been served with the lawsuit yet.
Fayer said Cybersitter, a family-owned company, is seeking damages for royalties due on its product, which sells for US$39.95 a copy.
He said the case could be “a watershed for the protection of American intellectual property internationally.”
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS