THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1986
35
HE SAID THE STRATEGY OF ATTACKING COUNTERFEITING AND COPYRIGHT PIRACY IN HONG KONG WAS DIRECTED AT ALL LEVELS.
SPECIAL ATTENTION WAS PAID TO THE IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION OF SUSPECTED COUNTERFEIT GOODS AT ALL ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG HAD DEVELOPED COMPREHENSIVE LAWS COVERING TRADE MARKS, TRADE DESCRIPTIONS, COPYRIGHT, INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS AND PATENTS AND COMMITTED SUBSTANTIAL RESOURCES TO THE VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT OF THESE LAWS.
+ THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS OF HONG KONG ARE, IN FACT, MORE STRINGENT THAN THE LAWS AND PRACTICES OF MANY COUNTRIES, DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING, HE EXPLAINED.
MR HOWARD SAID A TOTAL OF 874 SEIZURES WERE MADE FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR. INVOLVING GOODS VALUED AT $47.3 MILLION, UNDER THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE AND RESULTED IN PROSECUTION OF 535 PERSONS OR FIRMS.
OPERATIONS TAKEN IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS THIS YEAR UNDER THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE HAD LED TO 79 SEIZURES WITH GOODS VALUED AT $1.09 MILLION AND A TOTAL OF 108 PROSECUTIONS.
MR HOWARD SAID THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT HAD A SPECIAL TASK FORCE COMPRISING 150 INVESTIGATORS WITH WIDE-RANGING POWERS TO ENFORCE THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS AND COPYRIGHT ORDINANCES.
+ IN ORDER TO PROTECT OWNERS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COVERING COMPUTERS AND THEIR ACCESSORIES, CUSTOMS OFFICERS PAVE TAKEN ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST OFFENCES INCLUDING THE FORGING OF TRADE MAKES IN BOTH COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND, MORE RECENTLY, INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IN SOFTWARE PROGRAMMES.
+OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, OPERATIONS AGAINST THE INFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN COMPUTER PRODUCTS HAVE RESULTED IN THE SEIZURE OF GOODS VALUED AT $2.56 MILLION. 106 TRADERS HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED UNDER THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE AND 45 AWAITS PROSECUTION ACTION, + HE SAID.
PRIVATE SECTOR URGED TO SPONSOR ARTS
*****
THERE IS A NEED TO CONSIDER AFRESH THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING A HONG KONG BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP ASSOCIATION, THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MRS ELIZARETH WONG, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG NORTH, MRS WONG SAID SHE HOPED THAT MORE COMPANIES WOULD TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN SPONSORING ARTISTIC VENTURES.
/+AT PRESINT