INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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yarns, hair dryers, peanut cooking oils, and other items. The council also carried out in-depth studies and surveys on some 40 items including air-conditioners, housing loans, remedies for colds and coughs, and diet and slimming aids.
In the field of consumer protection legislation, the government has accepted the council's recommendations to introduce legislation on trade descriptions and hire purchase transac- tions, and to revise the existing legislation on weights and measures. Drafts for these three pieces of legislation were being prepared in 1979. This is a significant achievement for the council which has been striving, since its inception, to obtain more and better laws to protect the consumer. The council's reports on the sale and purchase of flats and the opera- tions of travel agents in Hong Kong are still under study. Apart from legislation, the council works to encourage business and professional associations to establish voluntary codes of practice for the benefit of consumers. The Consumer Council is a council member of the International Organisation of Consumers Unions.
Metrication
In the field of metrication, the government's objective is the progressive adoption of the International System of Units (SI) in those areas for which it is responsible. The Metrication Ordinance, enacted in 1976, provides for the eventual replacement of non-metric units by SI in all legislation in Hong Kong.
A Metrication Committee, with an unofficial chairman and consisting of government officials and representatives of industry, commerce, management and consumer affairs, was appointed by the Governor in January, 1978. The committee is the focal point of liaison on all matters concerning metrication, and it advises and encourages various groups within the private sector in the framing of their programmes for metrication. By the end of 1979, the committee had drawn up an outline for a five-year programme of activities promoting SI, mainly involving education and publicity. The programme is based on research and assessment of the current state of metrication in the private sector.
Trade Marks and Patents
Trade marks are registered under the Trade Marks Ordinance, which is based on the United Kingdom Trade Marks Act 1938. The procedure is laid down in the Trade Marks Rules, and the prescribed forms may be obtained free from the Trade Marks Registry, Registrar General's Department. Every mark, even if already registered in Britain or any other country, must satisfy all the requirements of the Hong Kong Trade Marks Ordinance before it may be accepted for registration. During 1979, 4,792 applications were received and 2,260, including many made in previous years, were accepted and allowed to be adver- tised. A total of 1,680 marks were registered. The principal countries of origin were:
United States
Hong Kong
United Kingdom
West Germany
Japan
417
389
188
168
137
France Switzerland Italy Australia
The Netherlands
107
77
43
30
20
The total number of marks on the register at December 31, 1979, was 34,275.
Although there is no original grant of patents in Hong Kong, the Registration of Patents Ordinance provides that any grantee of a United Kingdom patent or European patent (UK) may, within five years from the date of its grant, apply to have the patent registered in Hong Kong. Registration of a United Kingdom patent or European patent (UK) in Hong Kong confers on the grantee the same privileges and rights as if the patent had been granted in the United Kingdom with an extension to Hong Kong. The privileges and rights