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INDUSTRY AND TRADE
Hong Kong
643
West Germany
153
United States
579
Switzerland
101
Japan
295
Italy
97
United Kingdom
244
France
155
Australia Spain
68
47
The total number of marks on the register at December 31, 1981 was 37 150.
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 run from the commencement of the term of the patent in the United Kingdom, and continue as long as the patent remains in force there. A total of 654 patents were registered during the year, compared with 718 in 1980.
The Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 1981, which came into operation on September 1, 1981, provided for an increase of fees payable under the Trade Marks Rules. Similar increases were made in respect of the Registration of Patents by the Registration of Patents (Fees) Amendment Rules 1981, which became operative on November 16, 1981.
Companies
The Companies Registry of the Registrar General's Department keeps records of all companies incorporated in Hong Kong and of all foreign corporations that have estab- lished a place of business in Hong Kong.
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Local companies are incorporated under the Companies Ordinance which is, to a large extent, still based on the Companies Act 1929 - formerly in force in Britain but now replaced by the Companies Acts of 1948 and 1981. However, as a result of implementing a number of recommendations made by the Companies Law Revision Committee (June, 1971, and April, 1973), several parts of the ordinance notably those dealing with prospectuses, accounts and audit - have been amended. These parts now incorporate most of the relevant provisions of the Companies Acts of 1948 and 1967. A lengthy bill incorporating most of the recommendations in the committee's second report which have not already been implemented by legislation was published in the Government Gazette of July 18, 1980, and the public were invited to comment on it. Numerous individuals and organisations submitted detailed comments, both on the matters dealt with in the bill and on other aspects of company law, and these are still under consideration by government.
On incorporation, a company pays a registration fee of $300, plus $4 for every $1,000 of nominal capital. In 1981, 15 877 new companies were incorporated - 1 281 more than in 1980. The nominal capital of new companies registered totalled $4,749 million. Of the new companies, 192 had a nominal share capital of $5 million or more. During the year, 4 358 companies increased their nominal capital by amounts totalling $57,870 million, on which fees were paid at the same rate of $4 per $1,000. At the end of 1981, there were 96 261 local companies on the register, compared with 81 206 in 1980.
Companies incorporated overseas are required to register certain documents with the Companies Registry within one month of establishing a place of business in Hong Kong. Only small filing fees are payable in such cases. During the year, 207 of these companies