Need to pay to film Taipei 101

Apparently Taipei 101 is trademarked or something, and it is necessary to pay money to use it in a TV scene or other commercial productions. Here are the links:

tw.news.yahoo.com/060211/15/2ugjf.html
translated: tinyurl.com/cce3e

tw.news.yahoo.com/060211/195/2ugq3.html
translated: tinyurl.com/85rey

There aren’t many details in these stories. Does anyone else know what’s up with this? It seems pretty ludicrous to me. They can build the thing in everyone’s visual space, but those people aren’t allowed to take moving pictures of it.

The English newspapers had stories on this today too, front page of Taipei Times. Dumb move on TPE 101 part. This will backfire major and create bad PR for Taiwan, once again. What dummies!

Yes, the words “Taipei 1o1” should be protected by copyright for use on umbrellas or coffee mugs or t-shirts, that is the property of the bldg, but photos and images of the bldg, bullshit. Taipei 1o1 belongs to everyone.

Major PR stupidity!

They will retract their lawsuits tomorrow. Watch!

Taipei 101 is an advertisment for Taiwan, and they’re going to stop people from seeing it ?

Photos of Taipei are also banned because they include the Taipei 101 ?

:loco:

Next thing you know they will charge you for looking at it … :unamused:

Well, you can’t use landmarks in commercials, movies or as part of your logo in America or France, either. You are associating something that doesn’t belong to you with your product. You can’t just take a few photos of Jolin and stick her face on brochures for your English school, and you can’t do that with photos of Taipei 101, either. The precedent is not from Taiwan but comes from other coutries. Sony rented the side of Taipei 101; Citroen rented the Eiffel Tower as a big billboard, read here. I’m 100% confident that the commercial use of Taipei 101 or any other commercial building is covered by laws worldwide. If I built a nice house and then somebody stuck pictures of my house on their coffee label, I’d have a right to get upset.

Photos including Taipei 101 are not banned, and I don’t know where you got that idea from. Of course photography is covered by visual arts laws, but people are being harrassed and threatened more now post 911 for photographing landmarks. If they want to designate Taipei 101 a military target then they could prohibit you from taking pictures of it from public places. Using recognizable locations in movies has always been prohibited unless you get the correct permissions, hasn’t it?

[quote=“twocs”]

Photos including Taipei 101 are not banned, and I don’t know where you got that idea from. Of course photography is covered by visual arts laws, but people are being harrassed and threatened more now post 911 for photographing landmarks. If they want to designate Taipei 101 a military target then they could prohibit you from taking pictures of it from public places. Using recognizable locations in movies has always been prohibited unless you get the correct permissions, hasn’t it?[/quote]

Can they sue you for editing it out and putting a generic building in its place? Honestly, what else is Taiwan known for in the world except Taipei 101, fights breaking out during government meetings, and cheap plastic shit? If they’re going to make themselves a pain in the ass for the one positive thing the general public knows about them, they can’t be surprised when no one takes them seriously.

If they made Taipei 101 a military structure,

a) it would be ridiculous to think they could hide it from enemy fire, and

b) they could kiss most pictures of Taipei goodbye seeing as the damn thing is so ubiquitous.

I

Interesting…

Whatever the normal legal standards are, I think I disagree with them on a fundamental level. Why should someone be allowed to alter my visual space and then tell me I’m not allowed to gather photons on my film. It’s complete utter bullshit. What would John Stuart Mill say? Thomas Jefferson? Why do there need to be so many laws to grant further rights to those with power and money and take rights away from the general “citizen”? I say if you want to stop someone from using your building in a film, the onus is on you to erect a curtain around it.

As for using landmarks on logos, I again think absolute liberty would be best, but I could accept regulation on a trademark level. But banning people from shooting footage in general is ridiculous.

Does this ban the average person from taking video of T101, or just preclude people or companies from using T101 in video for commerical purposes?

I don’t think this tells anyone that they can’t film it for personal use or enjoyment. You just can’t use it for commercial gain.

[quote]I say if you want to stop someone from using your building in a film, the onus is on you to erect a curtain around it.

As for using landmarks on logos, I again think absolute liberty would be best, but I could accept regulation on a trademark level. [/quote]
Maybe you’re right. You certainly have an argument, but the points above about the average person are irrelevant to the argument you make here.

[quote=“Cola”]
They will retract their lawsuits tomorrow. Watch![/quote]

They backpedaled on Wed.

It’s a nonstory now.

[quote=“Cola”][quote=“Cola”]
They will retract their lawsuits tomorrow. Watch![/quote]

They backpedaled on Wed. [/quote]
Well, actually they were slapped down by Taiwan’s main Trademark and IP Office - which told them they couldn’t legally do what they initially planned. They obviously still have rights on how 101 is used through their trademark, but being in the background of a picture isn’t covered.

[quote=“dearpeter”]Interesting…

Whatever the normal legal standards are, I think I disagree with them on a fundamental level. Why should someone be allowed to alter my visual space and then tell me I’m not allowed to gather photons on my film. It’s complete utter bullshit. What would John Stuart Mill say? Thomas Jefferson? Why do there need to be so many laws to grant further rights to those with power and money and take rights away from the general “citizen”? I say if you want to stop someone from using your building in a film, the onus is on you to erect a curtain around it.[/quote]

So you won’t mind if I snap a photo of you and your girlfriend walking into your appartment building and then sell it to Apple Daily for their special on foreign men screwing the local lasses, right?