November 6, 2004
The Burberry Check, the ubiquitous black-red-beige plaid which is one of the world's most frequently pirated clothing patterns, is protected under Taiwan's trademark laws. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs made a point of reiterating at the end of October that the name and pattern of the famous British fashion brand are both in fact registered trademarks in Taiwan and that they receive all of the protection of the law this entails.
The IPO made these comments in response to rumors circulating on the Internet to the effect that the plaid pattern was not covered by trademark laws and that it was therefore not illegal for others to make or sell products bearing the Burberry pattern.
"The reports are wrong," an IPO official clarified, pointing out that Taiwan granted approval for the British fashion house's Burberry Check trademark registration in 2000.
Violators of these trademark rights may be sued for compensation in a civil court and are subject to public prosecution by the government as well.
Taiwan, once reputed to be a major source of pirated goods, has made significant strides towards protecting intellectual property rights in recent years. There are even expectations that it will be removed soon from the United States' Special 301 Priority Watch List. Taiwan has remained on this list since it was first placed there in 2001.
Taiwan is producing more and more of its own intellectual property. In recent years, Taiwan has ranked very high globally for the number for patents registered in the United States. Most of these patents are related to its world-renown information technology industry.
(United Daily News)
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