THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1983
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CUSTOMS OFFICERS CRACK DOWN ON COPYING
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GOODS VALUED AT $10.7 MILLION HAVE BEEN SEIZED SO FAR THIS YEAR IN A CONTINUING CRACKDOWN ON COUNTERFEIT MERCHANDISE IN HONG KONG.
NEARLY 600 CASES HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED AND 281 PEOPLE PROSECUTED, RESULTING IN FINES OF $1,6 MILLION AND THREE PRISON SENTENCES.
THE FIGURES WERE GIVEN TODAY BY MR JOHN HOWARD, PRINCIPAL INDUSTRY OFFICER OF THE TRADE CONTROLS INVESTIGATION BRANCH (TCIB), CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT.
MR HOWARD, ADDRESSING A LUNCH MEETING OF THE RETAIL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, ASKED MEMBERS TO BE ALERT AND TO REPORT CASES OF SUSPECTED COUNTERFEITING TO THE AUTHORITIES.
+IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HONG KONG'S TRADING REPUTATION SHOULD NOT BE TARNISHED BY A FEW UNPRINCIPLED TRADERS, AND IT IS AT YOUR LEVEL WHERE BUSINESS INTEGRITY STANDS OR FALLS,+ HE SAID.
MR HOWARD SAID THAT COUNTERFEIT GOODS WERE COVERED BY THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE, WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT ON APRIL 1, 1981. CONVICTIONS BY INDICTMENT CARRIED A MAXIMUM FINE OF $500 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR FIVE YEARS, WHILE SUMMARY CONVICTION CARRIED
MOST A MAXIMUM FINE OF $100 000 AND TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. CASES IN HONG KONG WERE DEALT WITH SUMMARILY.
MR HOWARD SAID THAT THE TCIB WAS THE MAIN ENFORCEMENT BODY FOR THE ORDINANCE. THE TCIB MAINTAINED CLOSE LIAISON WITH THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE WATCH INDUSTRY AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS TO HELP STAMP OUT COUNTERFEITING.
+BUT WHAT IS ALSO REQUIRED IS GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS AND COOPERATION,+ HE SAID. +COMPLAINTS RECEIVED ARE KEPT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE, AND NO COMPLAINANT IS REQUIRED TO GIVE TESTIMONY IN OPEN COURT UNLESS HE IS WILLING TO DO SO.
+PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS ARE TRAINED TO DO THIS WHERE FAKE GOODS ARE FOUND, AND THE OWNER OF A REGISTERED TRADE MARK IS ONLY TOO PLEASED TO GIVE EXPERT TESTIMONY WHERE EVIDENCE IS ADDUCED TO PROVE FORGERY OF HIS TRADE MARK, HE SAID.
MR HOWARD SAID THAT IN 1981, THE TCIB HAD INVESTIGATED NEARLY 700 CASES AND SEIZED COUNTERFEIT GOODS VALUED AT SOME $20 MILLION. THE INVESTIGATIONS LED TO 240 PROSECUTIONS, FINES OF $1.3 MILLION, AND SIX PRISON SENTENCES.
/+IN 1982