The rating systems for books, audio and video publications will go into effect today.
According to the Measure Governing the Rating Systems of Publications and Pre-recorded Video Programs (出版品及錄影節目帶分級辦法) -- promulgated in August this year, books, audio or video programs carrying restricted content should not be made available to audiences under the age of 18.
Books and audio publications are rated into two categories: general and restricted.
Restricted content for books and audio publications is defined as material containing "over-description" of such criminal behaviors as killing, kidnapping or drug dealing; "over-portraying" of the process of suicide; "dramatic depiction" of violent, bloody and deviant scenes but acceptable by general adult audiences and languages, conversations, sounds, pictures or graphics portraying sexual behaviors, obscene plots or bare human sex organs -- but not abhorrent for adult audiences.
Such restricted publications should carry a label on the cover reading "R rated: not available for 18 and under." The size of the label should not take up less than one-50th of the total area of the cover, the measure indicates.
Publishers refusing to label restricted publications can opt to wrap them up in plastic bags or sell them at special sections of the store. The section, however, must carry a sign reading, "no one aged 18 and under is allowed to rent or purchase."
Violators will be subject to a fine of between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000, according to the Children and Juveniles Welfare Law (兒童及少年福利法). Serious offenders can also be asked to suspend publication for a month or up to one year.
Video programs are rated into four categories under the measure. The "G" rating is for general audiences of all ages. A "P" rating, or protection rating means that children aged 6 and under are not permitted to view the material. P-rated materials are permitted for children aged between 7 and 12, and must be accompanied by a parent or adult. The PG rating requires parental or adult guidance for audiences between 12 to 18-years-old. The "R" rating disallows anyone under the age of 18 from viewing the material.
Restricted content for video programs has a similar definition with that for books and audio publications. Video programs with restricted content must also carry a label with a warning message on the front and back of its packaging. Pictures or words on the front and back covers of packaging must not contain any restricted material.
Like explicit publications, restricted video programs must be confined to special sections of a store and carry a sign reading: "no one aged 18 and under is allowed to rent or purchase."
Huang Jien-ho (黃健和), general manager of Dala Publication Co specializing in books with spicy content, criticized the new rating system as "violent" and "ridiculous."
"Pornography is part of mass culture. It's not fair to deprive audiences of the right to read good books," Huang was quoted by a local evening paper as saying.
Before the new rating system takes effect, books deemed to have restricted content are estimated to take up about 5 percent of the market. With the implementation of the new system, Huang told the newspaper he expected to see the number skyrocket to 30 percent.
Death row inmate Huang Lin-kai (黃麟凱), who was convicted for the double murder of his former girlfriend and her mother, is to be executed at the Taipei Detention Center tonight, the Ministry of Justice announced. Huang, who was a military conscript at the time, was convicted for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Wang (王), and the murder of her mother, after breaking into their home on Oct. 1, 2013. Prosecutors cited anger over the breakup and a dispute about money as the motives behind the double homicide. This is the first time that Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) has
Ferry operators are planning to provide a total of 1,429 journeys between Taiwan proper and its offshore islands to meet increased travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday. The available number of ferry journeys on eight routes from Saturday next week to Feb. 2 is expected to meet a maximum transport capacity of 289,414 passengers, the bureau said in a news release. Meanwhile, a total of 396 journeys on the "small three links," which are direct ferries connecting Taiwan's Kinmen and Lienchiang counties with China's Fujian Province, are also being planned to accommodate
BITTERLY COLD: The inauguration ceremony for US president-elect Donald Trump has been moved indoors due to cold weather, with the new venue lacking capacity A delegation of cross-party lawmakers from Taiwan, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), for the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, would not be able to attend the ceremony, as it is being moved indoors due to forecasts of intense cold weather in Washington tomorrow. The inauguration ceremony for Trump and US vice president-elect JD Vance is to be held inside the Capitol Rotunda, which has a capacity of about 2,000 people. A person familiar with the issue yesterday said although the outdoor inauguration ceremony has been relocated, Taiwan’s legislative delegation has decided to head off to Washington as scheduled. The delegation
TRANSPORT CONVENIENCE: The new ticket gates would accept a variety of mobile payment methods, and buses would be installed with QR code readers for ease of use New ticketing gates for the Taipei metro system are expected to begin service in October, allowing users to swipe with cellphones and select credit cards partnered with Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), the company said on Tuesday. TRTC said its gates in use are experiencing difficulty due to their age, as they were first installed in 2007. Maintenance is increasingly expensive and challenging as the manufacturing of components is halted or becoming harder to find, the company said. Currently, the gates only accept EasyCard, iPass and electronic icash tickets, or one-time-use tickets purchased at kiosks, the company said. Since 2023, the company said it
RSS