I F P IMEMBERS' FOUNDATION IN TAIWAN

 INDEX

A. IFPI, IFPI Taiwan, And The General Situation

B. The Rolls Of Members

A.  IFPI, IFPI Taiwan, and the general situation.

a) IFPI Taiwan

(1)  History

In Feb. 1986, about two hundred people, the recording industry in Taiwan, the mass communication industry in Taiwan, and the respective government officials, held a party at ASIA WORLD PLAZA.  It was a great meeting in which Mr. Nicholas Garnett, the chairman of IFPI Asia, was invited.  The purpose of this meeting was to exchange the opinions about protecting the audio publications.  The idea of establishing a branch of IFPI in Taiwan was also sprouted. 

After the meeting, 11 record companies who were the members of IFPI started the preparation for IFPI Taiwan.  Following are the 11 record companies: DECCA Records Taiwan Ltd., Kolin (Taiwan) Co., Ltd., PolyGram Records Ltd., Rack Records (Taiwan) Co., Ltd., SYNCO Cultural Co., Ltd., Himalaya Records Co., Ltd., and UFO GROUP Co., Ltd.  All the major legal companies in Taiwan are included.

On the 5^th of May, the 11 companies founded the preliminary office, and decided to found IFPI Taiwan as a Consortium Corporation.  Mr. Chang, the chairman of DECCA Records Taiwan Limited, was the first chairman.  On the same day, the first meeting of the board of directors was convoked, and regulations of the corporation were passed.  The corporation was officially named as IFPI Members’ Foundation in Taiwan.  Mr. Nichols Garnett and his assistant, Mr. Zuour, attended this meeting as well.  Then, the preparation progressed rapidly and intensely.

Prepared for two months by Mr. Chang and other officers, on July 1, 1986, “IFPI Members’ Foundation in Taiwan”, approved by G.I.O. (Government of Information Office), registered as a Corporation of Public Welfare in the District Court in Taipei, and located on Ginan road, Taipei, was founded.  From then on, there is one more branch of IFPI.

 (2)Purpose

IFPI Taiwan is a branch of IFPI, so it followed IFPI’s purpose, that is: improving the international musical culture exchange by assisting the local recording industry to import and export the musical creative works, upgrading the level of domestic sound recordings, and protecting the recordings and publications of music from being pirated and counterfeited.  Moreover, the most important mission is that by our contracting with other branches of IFPI, the status of ROC can be promoted, and by musical culture exchange, the diplomacy can be progressed positively.

 (3)Missions

a.       Communicating with the members of IFPI and exchanging the recording technologies.

b.      Assisting and cooperating with members of IFPI Taiwan.

c.      Keeping in touch with the respective institutions.

(4)Goals of works

a.   By introducing the musical creations and artists, achieving the substantial culture exchange.

b.  Spreading and protecting the recording and publications of music.

c.  Enhancing the cooperation between domestic and foreign recording industries, and the exchange of the recording technologies.

d.  Dealing with the register of the copyright, and the protection of the sound recordings.

 (5)Conclusion      

Pirating and counterfeiting was denounced illegal actions of Taiwanese for many years, thus Taiwan suffered from the censure of “Realm Of Counterfeit “ (R.O.C.).  As a result, the task of the greatest urgency at present of IFPI Taiwan is “anti-piracy”.  We set up the Investigation Department to work on anti-piracy and anti-counterfeit.  With the principle－”Prohibiting, never compromising”, the personnel focuses on cracking down on the piracy and counterfeit, protecting copyrights, and restoring the order of the recording market.  Since IFPI Taiwan founded, we have cracked several pirating and counterfeiting manufactories, wholesalers, and retailers all over Taiwan.  By cleaning up the piracy and counterfeit, the Investigation Department will contribute to anti-piracy continually until Taiwan gets rid of “Realm Of Counterfeit”.

Meanwhile, We offer other services to audio publishing industry, such as registering for copyrights, introducing the respective information from other countries, importing the producing technologies of audio works, interacting with international music groups, introducing copyright systems, ect.  By our negotiation, the procedure of registering audio publications was simplified and improved a lot. It was not only the outcome of an enlightened style of I.C.C.; but also the result coming from the hard work of us.

In additions, we hope to be a reformer in Taiwan, with the advancement of knowledge and the change of circumstance, urging the government to protect copyrights and to establish respective systems.  By communicating and cooperating, we also hope to be a bridge between people and government.

 b) IFPI （International Federation of the Phonographic Industry）

The head-office of IFPI was registered in Switzerland and its secretariat is located in London, England.  IFPI Asian Regional Office is located in Hong Kong.  In addition, there are local offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, etc.  The local office in China was founded in 1995.

In Europe, there are local offices in Belgium, Poland, Italy, and East Europe.

 The Respective Associations

       IFPI keeps in touch with the respective associations of IPR (Intellectual Property Right) all over the world.  Following are some of the associations with whom IFPI contacts regularly:

(1) ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association Ltd.)

(2) CRIA (Canada Record Industry Association)

(3) RIAJ (Recording Industry Association of Japan); JSRAIC (Japan Society of Rights of Authors And Composers)

(4) SPVA(Singapore Phonogram ＆ Videogram Association)

(5) BRI (British Phonographic Industry)

(6) RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America); IIPA (International Intellectual Property Alliance)

B. The Rolls of Members 

 (1) IFPI Taiwan

(2) IFPI Worldwide

More than 980 famous record companies are members of IFPI worldwide, including Universal Music Group (USA), EMI Ltd., (UK), BMG Music Inc., (Germany), Warner Music Ltd., (USA), Sony Music Entertainment Ltd., (USA), and Pony Canyon Co., Ltd. (Japan), etc.