THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1981
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FIGHT AGAINST COUNTERFEITING OUTSTAND ING+
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+ONE OF THE MOST DESPICABLE FORMS OF FRAUD IS THAT OF STEALING ANOTHER PERSON'S COPYRIGHT, HIS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN OR HIS TRADE MARK,+ THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND CONTROLS, MR DOUGLAS JORDAN, SAID TODAY (JULY 30).
MR JORDAN TOLD THE LUNCHEON CLUB MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON THAT HONG KONG'S TRADING REPUTATION AND INTERNATIONAL STANDING COULD BE BROUGHT INTO JEOPARDY THROUGH THE SUBSTANTIAL DEGREE OF MISCONCEPTION ON COUNTERFEITING WHICH, IF NOT COUNTERED, QUITE UNFAIRLY GIVES HONG KONG AN UNDESERVED BAD NAME.
+HONG KONG'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT COUNTERFEITING ARE OUTSTANDING IN THE REGION, AND STAND HIGH IN THE WORLD AS A WHOLE, SAID MR JORDAN.
FOR INSTANCE, AS A RESULT OF A MAJOR OPERATION BY THE COPYRIGHT UNIT OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE AGAINST THE PIRATES OF AUDIO CASSETTES, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND PIRATED MUSIC TAPES IN HONG KONG.
TODAY IT IS THE VIDEO CASSETTE PIRATES THAT THE COPYRIGHT UNIT IS HITTING AS HARD AS IT PREVIOUSLY HIT THE MUSIC CASSETTE RACKET.
+ IN THE FEW MONTHS THAT THIS FRESH FORM OF PIRACY HAS BEEN EVIDENT, A NUMBER OF RAIDS HAVE BEEN MADE AND SEVERAL CASES AWAIT HEAR ING IN THE COURTS.
+IN ONE, AS MUCH AS 14 LORRY LOADS OF CASSETTES, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT WERE SEIZED AND REMOVED FROM THE ILLICIT FACTORY, SAID MR JORDAN.
THE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY SECTION OF THE TRADE CONTROLS INVESTIGATION BRANCH WORKS IN PARALLEL WITH THE COPYRIGHT UNIT, PURSUING COUNTERFEITING IN FASHIONS AND CLOTHING, LUGGAGE, WATCHES, CLOCKS, PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER GOODS.
LAST YEAR, THIS SECTION INVESTIGATED AN AVERAGE OF ONE CASE EACH WORKING DAY, OF WHICH 103 WERE PROCESSED THROUGH THE COURTS. +GOODS AMOUNTING TO $12 MILLION WERE SEIZED, SAID MR JORDAN. + IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR ALONE IT COMPLETED 87 CASES AND SEIZED $13 MILLION-WORTH OF GOODS.
MR JORDAN SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IN COUNTER ING COUNTERFEITING IS FURTHER EXEMPLIFIED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE WHICH BECAME EFFECTIVE ON APRIL 1 THIS YEAR. THIS GAVE THE DEPARTMENT NEW POWERS OF ENFORCEMENT WITH SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN PENALTIES.
/A TRADING
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