Largan Precision’s chairpersons not indicted for copyright infringement case

　Largan Precision Co., Ltd., the world's biggest maker of smartphone camera lenses (hereinafter “Largan Precision”), has been sued by the German developer of machine vision software, MVTec, for allegedly misappropriating the HALCON software, for which the Taichung District Prosecutors Office indicted Largan Precision and its ten personnel for Copyright Act violation.   

　The said Prosecutors Office concluded, based on its investigation that Largan Precision had been purchasing the standalone version of the HALCON software since 2005.  In late 2018, in the internal discussion about the future needs for the HALCON software, the head of R&D department, surnamed Huang (hereinafter “Huang”) instructed the deputy director, surnamed Chen, and others to suspend the purchase of the legitimate HALCON software; instead, Huang instructed them to find the ways to crack and pirate the identical MAC codes for bypassing the software detection system.  After that, the software was massively copied and installed on thousands of computers, which led to infringement upon MVTec’s economic rights.  Largan Precision’s former and current chairpersons are not indicted for lack of evidence against them proving their involvement in and knowledge of this infringement activity.  

　Out of its dissatisfaction with the said Prosecutors Office’s decision, MVTec filed a motion for reconsideration with the Intellectual Property Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office.  In addition, MVTec’s responsible person personally filed a petition with the National Development Council and the Ministry of Justice to state his dissatisfaction with the said Prosecutors Office’s decision to classify the files of this case as non-accessible ones based on the request of Largan Precision asserting trade secrets of these files.  However, the Intellectual Property Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office determined that the said Prosecutors Office’s investigation has been completed and MVTec’s motion for reconsideration was without merit, and therefore, dismissed MVTec’s motion on November 19, 2024.  The non-indictment decision for Largan Precision’s former and current chairpersons is finalized accordingly.  (Released 2024.11.21)    
/CCS