To mark the 45
th anniversary of Formosa Transnational, Attorneys at Law (FT), FT is hosting a series of symposiums. The first symposium, "Laws for New Media and the Entertainment Industry" was held on the afternoon of April 26, 2019 at FT’s offices.
This symposium was moderated by FT's Senior Partner, Fali Lin, with FT's Founding Senior Partner, John Chen, giving the welcome remarks. Combining technology and law, Attorney Chen stressed, is fundamental to providing well-rounded services. He added that cross-disciplinary communication is the key by which FT has been winning over clients for so many years.
John Chen giving the welcome remarks.
The first half of the symposium addressed the regulations for the entertainment media and included two presentations: "Protecting Copyrights of TV Program Formats" by Ruey-Hsing Chang, Director of the Science and Technology Law Institute, Institute for the Information Industry, and "Legal Issues Related to Digital Media" by Samantha Lee, Associate General Counsel at Verizon Media.
In the first talk, Mr. Ruey-Hsing Chang addressed issues relating to TV program formats, stressing the fact that various countries have grossed 100 billion Taiwanese dollars through authorization of TV program formats. He urged key Taiwanese players to be aware of the commercial value this field may bring, and to seriously consider taking necessary measures to cultivate and foster future development.
In the second talk, Ms. Samantha Lee shared her working experience as a senior general counsel. She pin-pointed several concerns that had been raised regarding content on digital media, including personal data privacy, safety for children and teenagers, defamation, and intellectual property. She considered it essential to take various values into account when engaging in business competition regarding effectiveness and reach.
During the panel discussion before the break, FT's Senior Partners, Yulan Kuo and Wen-Yueh Chung, responded to the previous talks. They emphasized the complex nature of technology laws by sharing their experiences as legal experts in the field.
The second half of the symposium was focused on issues related to "online platforms and laws." Speakers in this session included: Professor Lung-Sheng Chen, an associate professor at the Department of Law at National Chung Hsing University, delivered a talk titled "Liability for Contributory Infringement of Online Platforms"; Ms. Jane C. C. Wang, a partner at FT, delivered a talk titled "A Future Where Content Is King"; and Dr. Brian Hsiang-Yang Hsieh, a partner at FT, spoke on the topic of "Legal Issues Related to Digital Platforms."
Addressing the issue of online platform providers' liability for contributory infringement, Professor Chen in his talk made a comparison between the legislative model of the U.S. and that of the E.U. In addition, Professor Chen gave an informative introduction to the E.U.'s Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, which has recently been adopted by the European Council. Professor Chen urged that special attention be paid to the E.U.’s new copyright rules, as online platforms or service providers might expect huge changes in legal compliance practices.
Ms. Wang quoted Bill Gates’ famous phrase "Content is King" to open her talk. She further elaborated that while good content is vital in the digital era, the greatest economic benefits can only be attained through proper use of content distribution channels, including the various online platforms. Ms. Wang also cited the Ministry of Culture's recent plan to establish the Taiwan Cultural Content Agency as an example to illustrate the importance of team work and coordination in today's digital era. She hoped that Formosa Transnational would act as a strong supportive force for companies in the related industries.
Dr. Hsieh shared with participants of the symposium his first-hand experiences from cases on which he has worked and represented clients, and talked about legal issues and risks that frequently emerge when regulations are being formed to keep pace with the development of digital technologies in Taiwan. He also discussed cases where "the right to be forgotten" was involved and shared his observations regarding Taiwan's draft Digital Communications Act.
Mr. Frank Shao-Fan Lu, a partner of the firm, joined the second panel discussion. Mr. Lu pointed out that in addition to the contributory infringement issue which online platform providers may confront, in an age where everyone is able to post digital content at any time, every user should pay attention to relevant infringement risks, regardless of whether the risk is of direct or contributory infringement.
In the concluding talk, Moderator Fali Lin stated that as a prominent law firm in Taiwan with 45-years of history, FT is constantly adapting to new trends and exploring new ways to serve our clients. Mr. Lin told the participants that the firm would hold a series of other seminars this year and continue to work closely with our clients in the future. He invited the participants to join the upcoming events and hoped that friends, colleagues, and clients from various sectors would continue to support FT, as always.
Guest speakers taking a photo with FT attorneys
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