Pirating in Taiwan: Global Piracy and Copyright Development

The provided text offers an extensive historical and diplomatic overview of the book piracy problem in Taiwan, focusing primarily on the unauthorized reprinting of American English-language books from the post-World War II era into the 1960s. The sources trace the origins of copyright law in both the West and East, noting that traditional Chinese concepts considered knowledge to be free, which contributed to the proliferation of unauthorized copies. A central theme is the impasse between American publishers, who demanded legal protection and adherence to international conventions like the Universal Copyright Convention (UCC), and Taiwanese interests, including the government (GRC) and local booksellers, who argued that high registration fees and American pricing made legitimate books inaccessible to local students crucial for national development. The text details various failed attempts at resolution, including legal battles (such as the Encyclopedia Britannica case), diplomatic pressures like the suspension of the Informational Media Guarantee (IMG) program, and ultimately, the failure of the promising Global Royalty Fund (GRF) due to political and market complications. Despite persistent problems, the text concludes by noting that the GRC eventually made substantial, incremental concessions, such as reducing registration fees and implementing a strong export embargo to mitigate the issue.Book: Book Pirating in Taiwan by David Kaser