八卷二期　89年01月31日

Taiwan Takes Steps to Protect Mask CD-ROM Chips
On 7 July 1999, Taiwan's semiconductor industry implemented a voluntary chip marking system for mask CD-ROM products. The system was intended to prevent the counterfeit of electronic game chips and included the stamping of identification numbers on chips to aid law enforcement agencies and intellectual property rights owners to trace fake products. Prior to the implementation of the system, the semiconductor industry is seeking the support of government agencies in order to construct a more comprehensive framework for protecting mask CD-ROM products. This effort is aimed at showing not only that Taiwan manufacturers are taking responsibility for their products, but also the importance that Taiwan places on the protection of intellectual property.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) requested the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturers Association to prepare a report on how to protect mask CD-ROM chips. The IPO then revised the report after soliciting additional input from industry to draft a chip marking enforcement plan. The following three types of firms fall under the scope of the draft enforcement plan:
(a)Foreign and Taiwan firms that design mask CD-ROM chips for manufacture in Taiwan;
(b)Taiwan firms that manufacture mask CD-ROM chips under subcontract (OEM
manufacturers); and
(c)Taiwan firms that design and manufacture mask CD-ROM chips (IDM manufacturers)
The draft enforcement plan will be reviewed one year after implementation in order to assess its effectiveness in facilitating the tracing of products and the prevention of copyright infringement as well as the possibility for improvement in other areas.
The draft enforcement plan provides for the operation of the mask CD-ROM chip marking system, including application procedures, acceptance of chip marking registrations, and the rights, duties and qualifications of organizations handling chip marking registrations.
The draft enforcement has the following complementary components:
(a)Encourage firms to register their chip markings
　 The ROC Trade Law and administrative orders require chip designers and OEM and IDM manufacturers to submit letters or chip marking registration certificates approved by the chip marking registration organizations when exporting mask CD-ROM products.
(b)Increased inspections
　 The agencies-in-charge and registration organizations will hold random inspections and tracing, as well as increase inspections of manufacturers placed on watch lists.
(c) Expedited procedures for participating firms
　 Customs will expedite the examination and release of goods for Taiwan firms which register their chip markings and when the majority of the chip production for those firms is for export.
(d)Industry pledge
　 Manufacturers and designers pledge to cooperate with the chip marking registration system, engage in legal and licensed production, not to produce products that infringe intellectual property rights, and agree that the agencies-in-charge and registration organizations may enter factories for inspection.

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