Taiwan updates
Aviation
New drone regulations to come into force in 2020
Shay & Partners- Taiwan
- 28 August 2019
Further to the Unmanned Vehicles Technology Innovation Experimentation Act, which entered into force on 1 June 2019, a new regulation for drone use under the latest amendment to the Civil Aviation Act will take effect on 31 March 2020. Among other requirements, under the new act, drone operators in Taiwan will need to register with and pass an exam conducted by the Civil Aeronautics Administration to obtain an operator licence.
Intellectual Property
Contributed by Lee and Li Attorneys at LawInternational Patent Classification: one factor in determining whether motivation to combine multiple citations exists
- Taiwan
- 24 February 2020
According to the Patent Examination Guidelines, in order to determine whether a patent application can be easily accomplished by persons ordinarily skilled in the art in view of the citations, it is necessary to consider whether there is motivation to combine multiple citations. Further, such motivation depends on whether the multiple citations are relevant or common in their technical contents.
Copyright protection and Fair Trade Act: handbag design issues
- Taiwan
- 17 February 2020
In the ever-changing fashion industry, every signature handbag design represents the designer's endeavour and the brand's goodwill. However, whether a handbag design is protected under the Copyright Act remains controversial. In recent civil decisions, the IP Court has demonstrated how the Taiwanese courts approach this issue.
Broadest reasonable interpretation, presumption of validity and doctrine of claim differentiation
- Taiwan
- 10 February 2020
A patent's scope is defined by the language of the claim. Due to the polysemy of language, a term may have different meanings to different people. Divergent interpretations of a term can influence a claim's scope and affect the determination of infringement or patent validity. Therefore, disagreements and debates regarding claim constructions always exist in patent litigation. The Supreme Administrative Court ruled on this issue in a recent case involving the patent for an electronic payment system.
Post-allowance division requirements under amended Patent Act
- Taiwan
- 27 January 2020
Before the amended Patent Act took effect on 1 November 2019, a request for post-allowance division could be filed within 30 days of receiving an allowance decision only if the parent invention application had been allowed at the first examination stage. Under the amended Patent Act, a request for division can be filed within three months of receiving an allowance decision irrespective of whether the parent invention application has been allowed at the first examination or re-examination stages.
Patent Act amendments: a guide
- Taiwan
- 23 December 2019
The current Patent Act was amended on 18 January 2018 and took effect on 1 May 2018. Subsequently, in April 2019 the Legislative Yuan amended the act once again in order to relax some of the requirements – in particular, to reflect adjustments to international patent laws and practice and upgrade Taiwan's patent examination practice. The latest amendments took effect in November 2019. This article examines the major changes introduced by the amendments.
Tech, Data, Telecoms & Media
Contributed by Shay & PartnersOnline box office liable for data theft and consequential damages
- Taiwan
- 15 November 2019
In September 2019 a landmark appeal court decision found an online information service provider liable for consequential damages of data theft. Before this decision, most data theft cases in civil actions were resolved by a summary judgment under the Personal Data Protection Act, which offers claimants statutory compensation for non-pecuniary damages of between NT$500 and NT$20,000 per incident.
New Telecommunications Act on horizon
- Taiwan
- 23 August 2019
The new Telecommunications Act, which enters into force in June 2022, will replace the conventional Type I and II telecom licence categories (ie, facility-based and service-based operators, respectively) which were adopted in 1996 with a more liberal approach and give the National Communications Commission more scope with regard to spectrum management and licensing.
NCC publishes 5G spectrum auction rules
- Taiwan
- 16 August 2019
The National Communications Commission (NCC) recently published the final draft of its 5G spectrum auction rules. As part of the upcoming 5G spectrum auction, the NCC aims to publish an amendment to the existing Regulations for Administration of Mobile Broadband Businesses by the end of August 2019 and accept bids in September 2019. The auction for mobile broadband business licences operating in the 3.5GHz, 28GHz and 1,800MHz bands will commence in December 2019.
Huawei ban – will smartphones lose their smarts?
- Taiwan
- 14 June 2019
US President Donald Trump's recent executive order which blacklists Huawei has generated a significant response from Huawei smartphone users, mobile operators and distributors in Taiwan which are handling returned purchases. One of the principal complaints from consumers is that once a Huawei smartphone is deprived of its Android operating system and Google services, it is no longer as 'smart' as it should be.
New measures to regulate OTT service providers
- Taiwan
- 07 June 2019
Despite the fact that Taiwan's broadband market is flooded with over-the-top (OTT) media services, the National Communications Commission has yet to regulate OTT service providers. However, the government recently issued a presidential order to amend the Copyright Act and outlaw malicious online infringement. Since the order's enactment, local cable and satellite channel operators (among others) have identified at least 42 OTT boxes and apps which may be considered illegal under the revised act.
