Patent rights and trademarks of many renowned Taiwanese agricultural products have been infringed upon by Chinese traders, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator said yesterday.
The infringement of trademarks of local products like Kukeng coffee and Chihshang rice was seriously undermining the rights of local farmers, DPP Legislator Lin Yun-sheng (林耘生) said.
He called on the DPP administration to take strong action.
Lin claimed trademarks for famed products such as wine from Puli, Hsinchu rice noodles, Hsiluo soy sauce, Tungting oolong tea and Tungkang seafood had been registered by Chinese traders with the Beijing authorities.
Lin said that Taiwan and China are members of the WTO and that disputes over trademarks and patent rights should be dealt with under the WTO framework.
Nevertheless, the Chinese authorities had evaded talks with their Taiwanese counterparts in international forums, Lin added.
Huang Pei-hsun, a section chief from the Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) under the Council of Agriculture, said the agency would sponsor a ministerial meeting to work on ways to resolve the matter.
The Mainland Affairs Council and other government agencies would be present at the meeting, Huang said, adding that they would consider sending representatives from the tea industry to China with government assistance to seek protection for their products.
Council official Chen Chun-hung said that if Taiwan and China resume dialogue, the council will help farmers seek protection for their products in China.
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DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
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