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2001

NCKU MP3 Incident

成大MP3事件

Source: The NCKU MP3 Incident
From: Events in Focus
Date: April 2001 · Author: Hsieh Shuo-yuan

On 10 April 2001, the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office received a complaint from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) alleging that a student at National Cheng Kung University’s “Victory First Dormitory” had set up a private website to download films, music, and pornographic images — potentially in violation of the Copyright Act.

Although the case did not establish a legal precedent, it created a chilling effect: universities temporarily banned students from downloading MP3s on campus. In the ensuing legal debates, scholars and commentators began exploring the boundaries and scope of “reproduction,” “distribution,” “reasonable scope,” and “fair use” under the Copyright Act.

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