SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 1986
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228 PROSECUTIONS FOR TRADE OFFENCES
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THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR COMPLETED 236 INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING TRADE DESCRIPTION AND TRADE MARK OFFENCES AND OFFENCES RELATING TO COMPUTER SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.
AS A RESULT, 228 COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS WERE PROSECUTED 193 UNDER THD TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE AND 35 UNDER THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE.
FINES IMPOSED BY THE COURTS TOTALLED $1.48 MILLION. SIX PERSONS WERE GIVEN JAIL SENTENCES RANGING FROM ONE TO THREE MONTHS.
COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF $13.7 MILLION WERE SEIZED. THEY COMPRISED MAINLY GARMENTS, HANDBAGS, LEATHER BELTS, WATCHES, VIDEO TAPES, AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES, FOODSTUFFS, PLASTIC GOODS AND COMPUTERS.
IN ACTIONS AGAINST OTHER TRADE MALPRACTICES, THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PROSECUTED 108 CASES OF FRAUD CONCERNING ORIGIN, 59 CASES OF TEXTILES LICENSING FRAUD, 12 IMPORT/EXPORT DECLARATION CASES AND SEVEN OTHER CASES.
FINES TOTALLING $4.4 MILLION WERE IMPOSED BY THE COURTS WITH ONE PERSON BEING SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR TWO MONTHS.
DRAGON BOATS WILL RACE AT EXPO
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DRAGON BOAT RACES WILL BE HELD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN VANCOUVER THIS YEAR AS PART OF EXPO 186 AND THE WINNING TEAM WILL RECEIVE A
HONG KONG CUP.
THE WINNING TEAM WILL ALSO BE INVITED TO HONG KONG TO TAKE PART IN THE INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT RACES WHICH THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL, IS ORGANISING ON JUNE 21 AND 22.
THE RACES IN VANCOUVER ARE BEING ORGANISED BY THE LOCAL CHINESE CULTURAL CENTRE, AND THE CHINESE COMMUNITY HOPES TO MAKE THE OCCASION AN ANNUAL EVENT. THE RACES WILL BE HELD ON THE WATERS OF FALSE CREEK ON JUNE 14 AND 15. SIX DRAGON BOATS DONATED BY CORPORATIONS IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN SHIPPED TO VANCOUVER FOR THE RACES.
MPO ORGANISERS