Publishers urge more government support for e-books

Publishers urge more government support for e-books

2023-08-30

The publishing sector wants more government support for e-books. At a press event with a DPP lawmaker, publishers asked for expanded e-book subsidies to protect Taiwan’s freedom of the press. Currently, the Ministry of Culture subsidizes e-book rentals at two national libraries. It gave out just NT$290,000 last year. Publishers say that’s not enough to save their industry, which contracted by 30% last year.

DPP lawmaker Chiu Chih-wei stands with representatives from publishing houses. Together they urge the government to invest more in e-books to support Taiwan’s culture.

Chiu Chih-wei
DPP lawmaker
In 2021, the government only distributed NT$400,000 in e-book subsidies. In 2022, it gave only NT$290,000. For the publishing industry, this provides just a drop in the bucket.

The Ministry of Culture recently announced a budget of NT$100 million to subsidize e-book loans at public libraries. Chiu says that similar programs have only had limited effect in the past. As the subsidies only cover loans at two national libraries, they’ve brought little benefit to publishers.

Chiu Chih-wei
DPP lawmaker
If the policy could be expanded to the six special municipalities, the subsidies could benefit more publishers and more writers.

Chiu said e-book subsidies should be extended to more libraries. Publishers say that since COVID, Taiwan’s publishing industry has seen a significant decline, with business contracting by 30% in 2022.

Chao Cheng-ming
Taipei publishers association
Letting this decline continue is not the way to go. I think the publishing industry is a beautiful part of Taiwan that everyone should strive for. We should try to preserve this diverse culture of freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the publishing industry in our corner of the world.

Chen Chun-sheng
Taiwan publishers association
This year, there is still one last round of subsidies to be handed out. I strongly advise the government to continue implementing this policy.

Amid a decline in the industry, publishers urge the government to utilize e-book subsidies to benefit industry players and readers in Taiwan.

文化部電子書計次借閱補貼綠委:杯水車薪

2023-08-30

文化部一直都有補助"圖書館電子書計次借閱"的政策，不過立委邱志偉批評，目前只有兩間國立圖書館可用，一年多來預算只發出不到50萬，對出版業根本就是杯水車薪。希望可以把補助推廣到全國的圖書館。出版業者也喊話，希望民眾與政府多多支持，守護台灣得來不易的出版自由。

民進黨立委邱志偉，陪著出版產業界的代表出面，強調台灣以文化立國，政府應該要加強對電子書的挹注。

[[立委(民) 邱志偉]]
“(電子書計次補助)110年度只發了40萬，111年度只有29萬(元)，這個對出版業絕對是杯水車薪”

文化部日前宣布投入1億元的預算，補助"圖書館電子書計次借閱"，但邱志偉批評，這樣政策過去成效，相當有限，全台灣只有兩間國立的圖書館可以使用，對於出版業者，根本就是看得到，吃不到。

[[立委(民) 邱志偉]]
“如果把這政策全面推廣到六都，可以申請受惠的出版社，出版業者也多，可以申請的作家也多”

邱志偉強調，圖書館電子書的補助政策，應該要推廣到更多的圖書館。出版業者更哀號，自從疫情爆發，台灣出版業就大幅衰退，去年整體業績更是大減三成。

[[台北市出版公會理事長趙政岷]]
“這樣一路走下去、衰退下去不是辦法，我覺得出版在台灣是一個美好的風景，應該讓大家一起努力，讓多元出版言論自由、出版自由的風氣，能夠繼續保留下去，在世界上的角落”

[[出版公會全聯會副理事長陳濬昇]]
“(電子書補助)今年還會再發最後一期，我們強烈的建議就是，這個政策必須要持續把它執行下去”

面對出版業日漸萎縮，業者喊話，希望可以政府可以透過電子書的補助的形式，讓出版業與民眾都可以受惠。

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COVID-19 may not be in the headlines much these days, but COVID vaccines are still needed around the world. In a deal with the WHO, Taiwan’s Medigen has agreed to license out its COVID vaccine technology. Through the WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, or C-TAP, Medigen will share its vaccine, technology and training with people in need worldwide. News of the licensing deal sent Medigen shares soaring on Wednesday.

COVID has ravaged the world for more than three years. Although it’s no longer a global health emergency and border controls have been lifted, the virus is still in circulation. Through a WHO initiative, Taiwan’s Medigen has become the first private manufacturer to license out its COVID vaccine technology.

Paul F. Tokehagen
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We’ve entered an agreement to share our technology, our COVID vaccine formulation, the production technology and know-how, including training, with the world.

On its official website, the WHO says Medigen’s vaccine will be licensed to ensure equitable access to a COVID vaccine worldwide. By joining the WHO initiative, Medigen stands to collect licensing fees from buyers.

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This kind of protein subunit-based COVID-19 vaccine is very suitable for so-called emerging markets, especially those that don’t have sufficient cold-chain equipment. It can be stored at just 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. The WHO believes that improving access to vaccines rapidly in low and middle income countries, or allowing them to produce them locally, is crucial for global public health pandemic prevention.

Medigen’s COVID vaccine is the first vaccine technology added to the WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, C-TAP. Previously, all the technologies included were for medicines, such as Pfizer’s oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid, or Merck and Ridgeback’s Molnupiravir.

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This timing is quite unfortunate. Because most countries have already procured BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. Countries with insufficient vaccine resources such as developing countries could become the prime market for Medigen’s expansion.

The announcement, made by WHO and Medicines Patent Pool, gave a boost to Medigen shares on Wednesday. The stock opened up NT$6.3 and closed limit up, in a surge of about 10%.

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US workers say Taiwan contractors should get out of TSMC’s Arizona job site

Troubles are piling up at TSMC’s Arizona construction site. British newspaper The Guardian reports chaos on the ground, with multiple contractors working in the same areas without central coordination. One local worker pointed to safety issues, saying, "they need to get those Taiwan contractors out of there because they are not used to building in America at all." In response, TSMC said its Taiwan contractors were familiar with the equipment being installed, and would continue to partner with locals on the project.

TSMC is pushing to build two new fabs in the U.S., aiming to start production by 2025. But its setbacks keep making headlines. A week ago it released a rare recruitment video, calling for 2,000 local workers to take managerial roles. U.K.-based news outlet The Guardian reports that it’s chaos in Arizona.

In large red letters, the headline reads: They would not listen to us. The Arizona project is struggling, according to the piece. American workers said that when they disagreed with TSMC management, they were threatened with the loss of their jobs. Workers said there were multiple contractors working in the same sites, “all of them saying different things” amid the absence of coordination.

Nobunaga Chai
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What U.S. labor unions are most concerned about is people taking away their jobs. But in reality, the Taiwanese workers brought here by TSMC are not taking away their jobs, but making their jobs easier. Actually I feel that much of the reporting has been exaggerated.

The analyst says TSMC brought in Taiwanese workers to smooth out the project. But according to an American cited by The Guardian, the project was in great disarray, with workers having to “put stuff up” and “tear it down” five or six times, racking up costs five to six times the original quote. Americans also pointed to safety issues on the large job site, calling for processes to be less rushed. “I think they need to get those Taiwan contractors out of there,” one said. A Taipei-based analyst says that Arizona’s government should step in and mediate.

Arisa Liu
TIER economist
Arizona’s local government really needs to negotiate with the labor unions. After all, TSMC’s facility in Arizona is a flagship project of the U.S. CHIPS Act. There needs to be a comprehensive semiconductor supply chain in the local area. That’s the only way to truly achieve revitalization.

TSMC has responded, saying that it’s common industry practice to have overseas experts support a project. It said the Taiwanese specialists had a deep familiarity with the equipment being installed, and would continue to partner with locals at the job site. In the meantime, questions will continue to hang over TSMC’s 2025 production deadline, as its project sits under global scrutiny.

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Taiwan statistics show record highs for employment in old age

Older people in Taiwan are now more likely to be employed than not. That’s according to the latest government statistics, which show that more than 66% of 45-to-65-year-olds are currently employed. That figure reflects not just those who stay in work, but also those who have retired and then gone back to work. More and more industries are opening their doors to older employees, especially sectors hit by the post-pandemic labor shortage, such as hospitality.

Dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt, 72-year-old Judy is retired, and she’s off to work in this hotpot restaurant.

She greets her colleagues and changes into her work uniform, emerging from the back with a trolley to sort out the sauces.

Judy
Restaurant group employee
My family was shocked that somebody would hire me! I told the company that I’m 72, and they said they are very welcoming of people starting a second career. I hadn’t worked in the restaurant industry before. So why do I do it? Well, I love eating!

Judy’s rich career history includes a stint working for a bank in Vancouver. Then she went to Hong Kong, where she was private secretary to a company chair. At 65, she retired and moved back to Taiwan to enjoy travel and leisure time in nature. But seven years later, she found herself itching to get back to work.

Judy
Restaurant group employee
The pandemic came along, and after three years, I felt like I’d just been at home all the time. I felt very disconnected from society, so I thought “Why not try going out to work again?”

Working front-of-house is complex and demanding, so Judy chose a more behind-the-scenes role, plating up meals. The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics says that in March 2023, the proportion of 45-65-year-olds in work surpassed two thirds for the first time. It’s no longer a rarity.

In this fast food store, customers are greeted cordially by 70-year-old Grandma Tsai.

Ten percent of Macdonald’s employees are now over 60. In the last five years, the number of older employees at Muji grew fivefold. Meanwhile, this August, the number of older employees at Wow Prime was twice as many as 12 months ago.

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On Aug. 1, we had 406 middle- and old-aged partners working in onsite operations. Compared to the same date last year, it’s more than 100% growth.

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In August, the Ministry of National Defense held this four-stage “reserve shooting camp,” to strengthen the reserve forces’ capacities.

Participants follow orders from an officer. When they start to remember how to handle a weapon, they can start shooting.

Any reservist who completed their military service within the last 12 years is eligible to apply for the camp. Here they’re firing live bullets from T91 assault rifles, in standing, kneeling and prone positions. The targets are anything from 25 to 300 meters away.

Wang Shen-yuan
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We used obstacle boards to train shooting in different positions. In the past we always trained in prone position. So this helped us gain greater combat skills. A full day with a packed curriculum let us revise really thoroughly. Some of the participants had done four months’ military service, others one year, and some had even done voluntary service. You could see how excited everyone was, and maybe people who are willing to volunteer to sign up are interested in shooting, and of course have a certain sense of crisis.

Volunteer Wang Shen-yuan took part in three of the four stages of the camp, which, he says, had a positive, enthusiastic atmosphere. He hopes the camps can expand more in the future.

Wang Shen-yuan
Armed forces reserve camp participant
I think they can open them up more. I hope they can let in all reserves who have not yet stepped down. Of course, some people have stepped down, but they still want to protect home and country.

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Institute for National Defense and Security Research
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