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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1984
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS UNDER REVIEW
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THE GOVERNMENT WAS KEEPING THE LAWS ON THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY UNDER REVIEW SO THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO MEET HONG KONG'S REQUIREMENTS.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR PIERS JACOBS AT THE CONFERENCE ON +LEGAL PROTECTION OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND AUSTRALIA+.
+THIS NEED FOR REVIEW IS PARTICULARLY APPARENT IN RELATION TO PATENTS. A PAPER SETTING OUT THE OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORIGINAL PATENTS SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG IS BEING PREPARED BY A MEMBER OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS, AND THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, WHO IS OUR REGISTRAR OF PATENTS HAS MET WITH THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEMS,+ HE SAID.
MR JACOBS EXPLAINED THAT AT PRESENT, HONG KONG'S LAW RELATING TO PATENTS MERELY PROVIDED FOR THE REGISTRATION IN HONG KONG OF UK PATENTS OR OF CERTAIN EUROPEAN PATENTS.
WHILE THIS APPROACH HAD IN THE PAST BEEN PERFECTLY WORKABLE, HONG KONG IN FUTURE WOULD NEED SOME SYSTEM MORE PARTICULARLY DEDICATED TO ITS NEEDS THAN THE PRESENT REGISTRATION SYSTEM, HE SAID.
THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID, WAS WORKING ON PROPOSALS TO INTRODUCE A SYSTEM FOR THE REGISTRATION OF SERVICE MARKS, ANOTHER TYPE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AT THE MOMENT NOT SUBJECT TO ADEQUATE PROTECTION.
+ALSO, OUR LAW RELATING TO COPYRIGHT IS UNDER EXAMINATION,+ HE SAID.
MR JACOBS SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO LOOKING INTO SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCREASING COMPUTER ISATION IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.
+THERE ARE THREE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN, HE SAID.
+FIRST, BREACH OF CONFIDENCE. THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION OF HONG KONG IS LOOKING INTO THE QUESTION OF THE PROTECTION OF PRIVACY BY ACTION THROUGH THE COURTS FOR BREACH OF CONFIDENCE. THE IMPROPER DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION HELD IN A COMPUTER COULD BE ACTIONABLE ON THIS GROUND, HE SAID.
AT PRESENT, ACTIONS FOR BREACH OF CONFIDENCE WERE UNLIKELY TO PROTECT COMPUTER PROGRAMMES EXCEPT WHEN A LARGE AND SOPHISTICATED PROGRAMME INCORPORATING NOVEL TECHNIQUES AND LICENSED
WIDELY TO A SMALL CLASS OF USERS WAS CONCERNED. THE POPULAR, DISTRIBUTED, PROGRAMMES WERE NOT REALLY COVERED.
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