A photograph showing a demonic doll commuting by high-speed rail has breached the terms of service and disturbed the public, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said yesterday.
The image was uploaded to Facebook on Aug. 12 to promote the Warner Bros film Annabelle: Creation.
The rail corporation said it has issued a letter of complaint to Warner Bros Pictures Taiwan demanding an apology and actions to repair the harm done to the image of Taiwan High Speed Rail.
Photo taken from Warner Bros’ Facebook account
Three days before the supernatural horror film hit the nation’s theaters, Warner Bros promoted the film by dispatching replicas of the doll protagonist to events in Taichung and Kaohsiung via high-speed rail, THSRC said.
The promotional crew concealed the “terrifying doll” in a bag before boarding the trains and took unauthorized photographs, which were distributed without the railway’s permission or knowledge, THSRC said.
The actions have violated THRSC guidelines on commercial photography and harmed the railway’s reputation, it said, adding that it is ready to take legal action if Warner Bros fails to respond to its satisfaction.
“THSRC invites other businesses to conduct joint commercial undertakings, but no photographs should be taken on the railway without filing a complete request in advance and obtaining our permission,” it said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
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