In July 2011, Endemol, a media production company, filed a criminal complaint against the producer and the host of “Challenge 101” for allegedly reproducing and converting the format of their “1 VS 100” TV show. Recently Endemol filed another suit against the producers and the host of another TV program for allegedly reproducing their TV show named “The Million Pound Drop”.

The Million Pound Drop is a game show event, where contestants are “given” their prize at the beginning of the show - a million sterling pounds in cash. Contestants are then asked questions and are presented with an array of trapdoors respective to possible answers. They must assign a portion or all of their money on the trapdoor they think displays the correct answer. They can also spread the money across the trap doors if they are not sure. If the wrong trapdoor is chosen, the money they assigned will fall through the doors to be lost forever from the contestant.

The accused Taiwan game show was launched on March 7 of 2011 and the arrangement of the game is similar to “The Million Pound Drop”: The contestants are “given” an amount of cash and they have to place their money on the answer(s) which they think is correct. If their answer is wrong, the money would be forfeited, after five questions, they would be awarded the money left.

For many years Taiwan TV variety shows have been criticized for copying foreign shows with impunity, but finally it seems that the foreign production companies are not going to tolerate this situation anymore and have started to take legal action against the alleged infringers.

The Taipei Prosecutor’s Office is currently investigating this case and the prosecutor may arrange a court hearing in the near future.