INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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sale of electrical appliances was extended. Metric conversion programmes were drawn up for the timber and furniture industries, dairy products, household products, prepackaged foods and drinks. The sale of consumer goods at the wholesale level is almost entirely in metric units, while adoption of metric units at the retail level is becoming more widespread.
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 1983, 6374 applications were received and 2739, including many made in previous years, were accepted and allowed to be advertised. Of the 2 820 marks registered, the principal countries of origin were: United States, 684; Hong Kong, 633; Japan, 358; United Kingdom, 293; France, 207; West Germany, 149; Switzerland, 119; Italy, 88; Australia, 38; Netherlands, 27. The total number of marks on the register at December 31, 1983, was 40 915.
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 740 patents were registered during the year, compared with 558 in 1982.
Companies Registry
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.
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 to 1981. However, following recommendations made by the Companies Law Revision Committee (June 1971 and April 1973), several parts of the Companies Ordinance - notably those dealing with prospectuses, accounts and audit were amended and now incorporate most of the relevant provisions of the Companies Acts of 1948 and 1967. Most of the remainder of the recommendations in the committee's second report are given effect in a lengthy Companies (Amendment) Bill 1983 which is expected to be enacted in 1984. It is a revised version of the 1980 Bill and incorporates amendments made to the latter as a result of public consultation.
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On incoporation, a company pays a registration fee of $600 plus $6 for every $1,000 of nominal capital. In 1983, 11 558 new companies were incorporated 1 425 less than in 1982. The nominal capital of new companies registered totalled 3 469 million. Of the new companies, 84 had a nominal share capital of $5 million or more. During the year, 3 764 companies increased their nominal capital by amounts totalling $12,928 million on which fees were paid at the same rate of $6 per $1,000. At the end of 1983, there were 118 680 local companies on the register, compared with 108 302 in 1982.