財團法人台灣唱片出版事業基金會

Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan

Introduction of the RIT (IFPI Taiwan)

 IFPI Members’ Foundation in Taiwan has changed her name to “Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan (“RIT”)” since 1^st November 2008.  The RIT remains the representative of the IFPI in Taiwan territory and all member record companies of the RIT also remain members of the IFPI International. 

 INDEX

A. About IFPI, RIT (IFPI Taiwan)

B. The Roll Of Members

A.  IFPI, RIT (IFPI Taiwan) general situation

a) RIT (IFPI Taiwan)

(1) History

In Feb. 1986, about two hundred people, the recording industry in Taiwan, the mass communication industry in Taiwan, and the competent government officials, held a party at ASIA WORLD PLAZA for brainstorming the protection of music audio products in Taiwan.  Mr. Nicholas Garnett, Chairman of IFPI Asia, was also invited to this great party.  An idea of establishing a branch office of IFPI in Taiwan was then sprouted. 

After the party, 11 record companies, including 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.  started the preparation of establishment  All the major legal companies in Taiwan are included. who were the initial members of IFPI started the preparation for IFPI Taiwan.  Following are the 11 record companies:

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.

In October 2008, for cultivating the Taiwanese recording industry and embracing more member companies from local industry, the Foundation changed the name to “Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan” (RIT).   The RIT remains the representative of the IFPI in Taiwan territory and all member record companies of the RIT also remain members of the IFPI International.  All our goals, missions such as protecting recording copyrights and assisting the communications between domestic and international record industries, as well as working teams remain unchanged.  The Foundation plays an important role in Taiwanese record industry.  We endeavor great efforts in developing a sound environment for record industry of Taiwan and thus and the prosperous results are obvious to all.

(2)Purpose

RIT (IFPI Taiwan) is the representative of the IFPI International in Taiwan and also follows IFPI’s purpose, that is:

l          Assisting local recording industry to import and export the musical creative works for improving the exchange of domestic and international musical culture;

l          Upgrading domestic sound recordings to international level;

l          Protecting legitimate sound recordings rightholders’ rights 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)Goals

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

b.     Supporting and cooperating mutually with domestic record industry

c.      Liaison with local competent authorities and related institutions.

(4) Missions

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)Perspective

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）

IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide, with a membership comprising some 1400 record companies in 73 countries and affiliated industry associations in 44 countries.  IFPI's mission is to promote the value of recorded music, safeguard the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music in all markets where its members operate.

The head-office of IFPI is registered in Switzerland since 1933 and has her secretariat in London, England.  IFPI's international Secretariat is based in London and is linked to regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami and Moscow.

At the regional level, the organisation's work is split between Asia, Europe and, as from January 2000, Latin America (formerly Federacion Latinoamericana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas, or FLAPF).  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.

 The Affiliated Associations

       IFPI is closely in liaison with the following key IPR (Intellectual Property Right) associations around the world:

(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)     BPI (British Phonographic Industry)

(6)     RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)

(7)     IIPA (International Intellectual Property Alliance)

B. Members

(1) Member companies of RIT/IFPI Taiwan

(2) IFPI Worldwide

 IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide with some 1400 members in 73 countries and affiliated industry associations in 44 countries, including Universal Music Group (USA), EMI Ltd., (UK), SONYBMG Music Inc., (Japan), Warner Music Ltd., (USA), and Avex (Japan), etc.