WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1984
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DUE TO TIGHT SURVEILLANCE BY THE DEPARTMENT, SOME UNSCRUPULOUS TRADERS ONCE RESORTED TO MANUFACTURING AND IMPORTING COUNTERFEIT TAPES WHICE COPIED BOTH THE PACKAGING AND THE MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL WORK.
+EVEN THE AGENTS OF THOSE BRAND NAMES BEING INFRINGED FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DIFFERENTIATE THE FAKE FROM THE REAL ONES. A SERIES OF INVESTIGATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT EVENTUALLY LED TO THE CRACK DOWN ON TWO MANUFACTURING CENTRES AND THESE COUNTERFEITING ACTIVITIES ALSO CAME TO AN END, MR TONG SAID.
IN 1978, HE SAID, INVESTIGATORS ALSO DISCOVERED THAT SOME GENUINE TAPES WERE BEING IMPORTED ILLEGALLY INTO HONG KONG WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE HONG KONG SOLE AGENTS WHO OWNED THE COPYRIGHTS. THIS MALPRACTICE WAS BEING ERADICATED AFTER THE DEPARTMENT HAD STEPPED UP CHECKS AT CARGO AND PASSENGER ENTRY POINTS.
TURNING TO THE PRESENT MARKET SCENE, MR TONG POINTED OUT THAT RECENTLY THERE WERE RECORDED TAPES SOLD AT $5 TO $6 PER COPY WHICH WERE NOT PIRATED COPIES.
+THEY ARE MERELY 'SOUND-ALIKE' TAPES -- THE WORK OF SOME NEW OR NOT-YET-ESTABLISHED SINGERS IMITATING THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS OF POP SONGS AND FAMOUS TV THEME SONGS.
+COMPANIES WHICH PRODUCE THESE TAPES CAN SELL THEM LEGALLY AFTER THEY HAVE PAID ROYALTIES TO THE COMPOSERS' AND AUTHORS' SOCIETY OF HONG KONG (CASH),+ MR TONG EXPLAINED.
HOWEVER HE WARNED THAT RECORDING SERVICES PROVIDED BY SOME RECORD COMPANIES WERE ILLEGAL.
+IN THESE DEALS, CUSTOMERS PROVIDE TAPES AND THE RECORD COMPANIES RECORD THE SONGS CHOSEN BY THE CUSTOMERS AT A CHARGE OF 50 CENTS TO $2 FOR EACH SONG RECORDED.
+THIS IS PIRACY. THE COPYRIGHT PROTECTION UNIT IS CONSIDERING APPROPRIATE WAYS TO CURB THESE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES,+ HE STRESSED.
ANY PERSON FOUND GUILTY OF POSSESSING INFRINGING COPIES OF WORK FOR TRADE IS LIABLE TO A FINE OF $1 000 IN RESPECT OF EACH INFRINGING COPY AND TO IMPRISONMENT OF 12 MONTHS, AND IF FOUND GUILTY OF POSSESSING ANY PLATE USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR MAKING INFRINGING COPY OF WORK, IS LIABLE TO A FINE OF $50 000 AND IMPRISONMENT OF TWO YEARS, MR TONG SAID.
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