09.07.2012
The Directorate General of Customs (DGOC), the Gatekeeper of the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Taiwan
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After receiving a certificate of appreciation from LVMH (Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton), a Paris-based business conglomerate whose assets include jeweler Bulgari, fashion house Louis Vuitton and a string of top champagne and spirits brands, Keelung Customs Office (“the Customs”), the biggest one of the four Customs Offices under the Directorate General of Customs (DGOC) in Taiwan and an IP watchdog on the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), stressed on June 29, 2012 that to reduce counterfeit and pirated goods circulated among countries, the Customs has closely cooperated with the holders of IPR for many years to effectively combat counterfeiting and piracy of goods. The move has received a great deal of praise and affirmation from the domestic rights holders and foreign as well.
The Customs pointed out that the implementation of the protection of IPR is one of the important government policies. To strengthen the crackdown on the infringement of IPR, over the years, the Customs aggressively took part in several seminars with foreign customs and the rights holders for the screening of the identification of the true or imitation goods to enhance the officers’ professional knowledge and the enforcement ability. In addition to the continuing border control measures to strengthen the implementation of the protection of IPR, the Customs called on the people to reject the sale and purchase of counterfeit pirated goods and raised the awareness of the protection of IPR. The Customs also urged that the trademark owners should take advantage of the regulations in the Operational Guidelines for the Taiwan Customs in the Implementation of the Protection of Patent, Trademark and Copyright to protect their own rights against the counterfeit and pirated goods.
In practice, for several decades law firms in Taiwan such as Tai E International Patent & Law Office have received calls from the Customs requesting us to cooperate with it to proceed with identifying the imported or exported goods that are suspected of infringing trademarks registered or owned by a legitimate one. It has been well recognized that to promote a smooth international trade and to avoid customs barriers, urging all trademark owners to pay heed to the most recent updating laws and regulations of the protection of the IPR in Taiwan and take precaution and proactive approach to protect their rights is absolutely essential. Those who are interested in having assistance from the Customs are advised to refer to the Implement Regulations for Customs Authorities to Suspend Goods Infringing on Trademark Rights (see below), which were especially designed to safeguard the trademark owners’ interest and which were amended on August 2, 2012 along with the amendment to its mother law, the Trademark Law.
The Customs pointed out that the implementation of the protection of IPR is one of the important government policies. To strengthen the crackdown on the infringement of IPR, over the years, the Customs aggressively took part in several seminars with foreign customs and the rights holders for the screening of the identification of the true or imitation goods to enhance the officers’ professional knowledge and the enforcement ability. In addition to the continuing border control measures to strengthen the implementation of the protection of IPR, the Customs called on the people to reject the sale and purchase of counterfeit pirated goods and raised the awareness of the protection of IPR. The Customs also urged that the trademark owners should take advantage of the regulations in the Operational Guidelines for the Taiwan Customs in the Implementation of the Protection of Patent, Trademark and Copyright to protect their own rights against the counterfeit and pirated goods.
In practice, for several decades law firms in Taiwan such as Tai E International Patent & Law Office have received calls from the Customs requesting us to cooperate with it to proceed with identifying the imported or exported goods that are suspected of infringing trademarks registered or owned by a legitimate one. It has been well recognized that to promote a smooth international trade and to avoid customs barriers, urging all trademark owners to pay heed to the most recent updating laws and regulations of the protection of the IPR in Taiwan and take precaution and proactive approach to protect their rights is absolutely essential. Those who are interested in having assistance from the Customs are advised to refer to the Implement Regulations for Customs Authorities to Suspend Goods Infringing on Trademark Rights (see below), which were especially designed to safeguard the trademark owners’ interest and which were amended on August 2, 2012 along with the amendment to its mother law, the Trademark Law.
