Attorney at Law/ Partner
Introduction：
Ann Lai is a partner at the firm, with prior experience in both the Litigation and International Departments. She specializes in intellectual property, civil, and criminal litigation, with a strong focus on trademark, copyright, trade secrets, domain names, and e-commerce disputes. She previously served as Secretary General of the Taiwan Trademark Association (TTA) and now primarily handles IP dispute resolution and cross-border litigation. In recent years, her work has focused extensively on the intersection of AI and law, and she has been actively involved in professional training for other lawyers in this area.
Ann holds an LL.M. from Singapore Management University. She is a certified mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI) and is listed as both a mediator and arbitrator with the Chinese Arbitration Association, Taipei. A frequent speaker and educator, she actively participates in cross-strait and international legal initiatives and serves in various roles across global organizations such as the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the International Bar Association (IBA). She is also a part-time lecturer at several universities.
Ann has hands-on experience in wrongful conviction relief and was one of the few attorneys in Taiwan to successfully initiate and obtain a criminal retrial. On September 29, 2022, she secured a rare retrial ruling (Case No. 111-SHZai-7) from the Shilin District Court in Taipei, which later proceeded to the criminal compensation stage. Given Taiwan’s notoriously low retrial approval rates—averaging only 1.79% overall and as low as 0.99% at the High Court level—this case reflects not only her litigation capability but also her long-term commitment to criminal justice reform and post-conviction relief mechanisms.
Current Positions
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Committee Member, 2nd International Economic and Trade Negotiation Committee, National Bar Association of Taiwan
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Young Lawyers Liaison Officer, IBA Mediation Committee
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Newsletter Editor, IBA Mediation Committee
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Member, INTA Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee
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Member, INTA Global Advisory Councils (GACs)
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Registered Arbitrator and Mediator, Chinese Arbitration Association (CAA)
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Certified Mediator, Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI)
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Legal Counsel, Taiwan Junior Chefs Association (TJCA)
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Legal Advisor, CHA & KWON Blockchain Law Firm, Korea
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Committee Member, IP Committee, Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (TEEMA)
Selected Publications and Works
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How Should We Think About the Intersection of Copyright and AI?, IP Knowledge Market (IPKM), Sep 13, 2023
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Brand/Trademark Design Strategies for Startups, IPKM, Feb 22, 2023
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Determining Infringement in 2D Trademark Cases, IPKM, Dec 29, 2021
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Copyright Disputes Over Internet Memes, IPKM, Oct 13, 2021
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Chia-Chun Chen & Ann Lai, Analyzing Nike v. StockX: NFT Trademark Infringement in the Metaverse, Taiwan Law Review, Issue No. 330, 2022
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Chia-Chun Chen & Ann Lai, The First Generative AI Image Trademark Case: Getty Images v. Stability AI, Yue-Dan Law Review, Issue No. 19, Oct 2023
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Chia-Chun Chen & Ann Lai, Trademark Strategy and IP Challenges in the Metaverse, iKnow Knowledge Platform, Jun 4, 2024
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Chia-Chun Chen, Cheng-Chien Hsu, Ann Lai & ITRI Technology Transfer and Legal Center, AI Patents v. Metaverse IP Rights, Angle Publishing, Sep 13, 2023
Media Features and Interviews
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HeyShow (黑秀網) Interview: Unlocking the Metaverse – Copyright Essentials 99% of People Don’t Know
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Featured on POP Radio’s program POP大國民, hosted by He Rong (何戎): “AI doesn’t replace people—it replaces the people who aren’t needed.”
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Interview with DISSENT (在野法潮): Can AI-Generated Works Be Protected by Copyright? The Coming War of Generative AI
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