Houston Community News >> Taiwan Customs
7/23/2007 Taipei, Taiwan--
Officials said that 1,865 discs for Sony and Nintendo consoles it seized last
week could sell for NT$2.6 million on the Taiwanese market. The Taipei Customs
Office is trying to ascertain whether the 1,865 Nintendo Wii and Sony
PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game discs it seized last week are pirated copies.
Customs officials said yesterday they had asked the Aviation Police Bureau to
intervene in the smuggling case.
The officials said that the confiscated Wii and PS2 discs could sell for as much
as NT$2.6 million (US$79,000) on the local market.
Last month the Taipei Customs Office requested the help of a representative from
Nintendo, who certified that 400 Wii discs, worth NT$600,000, seized at the
nation's ports of entry in May were all pirated copies.
Those involved in smuggling the discs were prosecuted in accordance with the
Copyright Law (著作權).
The latest Nintendo game console is gaining in popularity, with the number of
consoles in Taiwan estimated at 200,000. Yet the product has not yet been
officially launched in Taiwan.
The National Communications Commission said that Nintendo had obtained
certification to market the Wii console in Taiwan.
Passengers entering Taiwan are allowed to import two Nintendo Wii discs
duty-free.
(Contributed by Taipei Times)