THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1986
STRONG ACTION TAKEN AGAINST COUNTERFEITING
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THE FIGHT AGAINST COUNTERFEITING AND COPYRIGHT PIRACY IN HONG KONG IS DIRECTED AT ALL LEVELS - FROM RETAILING AT STREET LEVEL, LARGE AND SMALL ESTABLISHED RETAIL PREMISES, MANUFACTURING OUTLETS AND ON IMPORT AND EXPORT.
THIS WAS SAID TODAY BY THE HEAD OF CUSTOMS TRADING STANDARDS INVESTIGATION BUREAU, MR JOHN HOWARD AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG SOUTH.
MR HOWARD SAID SPECIAL ATTENTION WAS ALSO PAID TO THE IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION OF SUSPECTED COUNTERFEIT GOODS AT ALL ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS BY THE 3 000 STRONG CUSTOMS OFFICERS OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT.
+OVER THE YEARS, SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS AGAINST SYNDICATES INVOLVED IN THE MAKING AND EXPORT OF COUNTERFEIT CASSETTE TAPES AND WATCHES BEARING WELL KNOWN TRADE MARKS WHICH HAVE BEEN FORGED HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED.
+ IN ORDER TO PROTECT OWNERS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COVERING COMPUTERS AND THEIR ACCESSORIES, CUSTOMS OFFICERS HAVE TAKEN ENFORCEMENT ACTION UNDER BOTH THE TRADE DESCRIPTION ORDINANCE AND THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE, HE SAID.
IN 1973, THE RECORDING INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE 50 INFRINGING MUSIC CASSETTE TAPES FOR EVERY LEGITIMATE COPY SOLD.
MR HOWARD SAID THAT WITH THE ENACTMENT OF THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE IN 1973, CUSTOMS OFFICERS' TOOK VIGOROUS ACTION ON MUSIC PIRACY.
+AFTER A FEW YEARS' CONTINUOUS EFFORT, THE LATEST REPORT FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY REVEALED THAT 99 PER CENT OF ALL SALES ARE LEGITIMATE PRODUCTS,+ HE SAID.
+ IT CAN BE SAID BY THE PRESENT SITUATION THAT MUSIC PIRACY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CONTAINED BECAUSE NO INFRINGING MUSIC CASSETTE TAPES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN THE LOCAL MARKET.+
MR HOWARD SAID THAT WITH THE ADVENT OF VIDEO EQUIPMENT PIRACY OF CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS IN THE FORM OF VIDEO CASSETTE TAPES BECAME A PROBLEM IN 1979.
+SINCE THEN, CUSTOMS OFFICERS TAKE CONTINUOUS ACTION AND CRACK DOWN SYNDICATES ENGAGED IN THE MANUFACTURE, EXPORT AND RETAIL SALE OF INFRINGING VIDEO CASSETTE TAPES. PROBLEMS RELATING TO VIDEO PIRACY HAVE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED,+ HE SAID.
THE RECENT REDUCTION IN PHOTOCOPYING COST HAD LED TO THE PROBLEM OF LITERARY WORK PIRACY, HE SAID.
/AS UNAUTHORISED
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