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INDUSTRY AND TRADE
other country, must satisfy all the requirements of the Hong Kong Trade Marks Ordinance before it may be accepted for registration. During 1985, 6 966 applications were received and 3 027, including many made in previous years, were accepted and allowed to be advertised. A total of 2 780 marks were registered. The principal places of origin were: United States, 647; Hong Kong, 610; Japan, 377; United Kingdom, 212; West Germany, 205; France, 185; Italy, 108; Switzerland, 97; Australia, 42; Netherlands, 39. The total. number of marks on the register at December 31, 1985 was 44 395.
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 1 030 patents were registered during the year, compared with 1 010 in 1984.
Companies Registry
The Companies Registry of the Registrar General's Department keeps records of all companies incorporated in Hong Kong and of all overseas companies that have established a place of business in Hong Kong.
Local companies are incorporated under the Companies Ordinance which until August 31, 1984, was based, to a large extent, 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 pro- spectuses, 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 the lengthy Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 1984 which was enacted in January and came into force on August 31, 1984.
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On incorporation, a company pays a registration fee of $600 plus $6 for every $1,000 of nominal capital. In 1985, 18 465 new companies were incorporated - 5 031 more than in 1984. The nominal capital of new companies registered totalled $3,664 million. Of the new companies, 104 had a nominal share capital of $5 million or more. During the year, 5 312 companies increased their nominal capital by amounts totalling $14,412 million on which fees were paid at the same rate of $6 per $1,000. At the end of 1985, there were 147 636 local companies on the register, compared with 130 722 in 1984.
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. A registration fee of $500 and some small filing fees are payable in such cases. During the year, 231 of these companies were registered and 144 ceased to operate. At the end of 1985, 2 092 companies were registered from 59 countries, including 502 from the United States, 317 from the United Kingdom and 253 from Japan.
The Companies Registry also deals with the incorporation of trustees under the Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance, and with the registration of limited partnerships.