Liberty Times, December 24, 2024, A1
Purchased pirated games and music from Chinese websites for resale: Two suspects made NT$3.5 million in illegal profits; infringement value exceeds NT$300 million
[Reporter Lu Yun-Feng/Taipei Report] A vegetable vendor, Dai Guang-You, and an online retailer, Zhu Guo-Qing, allegedly purchased pirated games and music from Chinese websites, downloaded them, and sold them online in Taiwan. After receiving customer orders, the two suspects either stored the pirated digital files on USB drives for shipment or uploaded them to Google Drive for download. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) searched their residences and confiscated evidence valued at over NT$300 million in infringement. The suspects were referred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for investigation on charges of violating the Trademark Act and Copyright Act. Their illegal profits are estimated at NT$3.5 million.
Including nearly 100 game titles and 5,000 music tracks
Police received reports alleging that an online seller was offering large volumes of pirated computer software and music on e-commerce platforms. These included nearly 100 game titles, such as Heroes of the Three Kingdoms and Lineage, as well as around 5,000 songs in Mandarin, English, and Taiwanese.
After investigating, the Intellectual Property Rights Division of the CIB conducted searches in Sanchong and Luzhou Districts, New Taipei City, in June this year. They apprehended 28-year-old suspect Dai and 35-year-old suspect Zhu, confiscating two external hard drives, 229 USB drives, and access credentials for one Google Drive account.
Vendor and online seller arrested, referred for prosecution
It is reported that Dai, a vegetable vendor passionate about single-player computer games, purchased pirated games like Heroes of the Three Kingdoms on China’s Taobao website for prices ranging from NT$200 to NT$700 earlier this year. He even modified game source codes to provide customized services, such as granting rare items or boosting player levels, before listing the games on Shopee for approximately NT$800. His illegal profits are estimated at NT$1 million.
Meanwhile, Zhu, an online retailer, joined a Chinese gaming forum in June last year for NT$1,000. He then purchased pirated games and music from Chinese sellers, reselling them online for NT$400 to NT$800. Among the music were tracks performed by artists like Jay Chou and A-Mei, with each song priced at NT$70. His illegal profits are estimated at NT$2.5 million.
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