TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1988
TURNING TO COMPUTER COUNTERFEITING, MR TONG NOTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST COUNTERFEIT COMPUTERS WERE UNEQUALLED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
"ACTIONS WERE TAKEN IN 1985 AND 1986 AGAINST SOME 200 SHOPS SELLING FAKE COMPUTERS, RESULTED IN THE SEIZURE OF COMPUTERS AND PARTS VALUED AT ABOUT $400,000."
HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE GREATEST DIFFICULTIES IN TAKING CRIMINAL ACTIONS AGAINST COMPUTER COUNTERFEITERS WAS THE NEED TO ASCERTAIN THE LEGAL COPYRIGHT HOLDERS WHO MUST THEN WITNESS AGAINST THE IMITATORS AND ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING THE AUTHENTICITY OF GOODS.
"ONLY ABOUT 10 OUT OF THE EXISTING MORE THAN 50 GENUINE COMPUTER DEALERS IN THE WORLD ARE IN THE POSITION TO TESTIFY AGAINST THOSE ILLEGAL IMITATORS.
"THE SAME SITUATION ALSO HAPPENS TO THE PROPERTY RIGHT OWNERS OF SOME PRESTIGIOUS HANDBAGS AND GARMENTS. WITHOUT THEIR CO-OPERATION, OUR HANDS ARE TIED TOWARDS SOME KNOWINGLY COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS AND OUR WORK CANNOT PROGRESS.'
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MR TONG WARNED THAT COMMERCIAL COUNTERFEITING WAS ALSO EXTENDED TO THE MARKET OF HOUSEHOLD NECESSITIES, POSING A THREAT ΤΟ THE HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC.
WORKSHOPS
MANUFACTURING
"SEVERAL SYNDICATES AND
COUNTERFEIT PACKAGED RICE, DETERGENTS, SOYA SAUCE AND EVEN MINERAL WATER AND DISTILLED WATER WERE SMASHED BY CUSTOMS IN 1986, HE ADDED.
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"THE VALUE OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS SEIZURES REACHED A RECORD HIGH OF $66 MILLION IN 1986 AND MORE RESOURCES WERE RE-ALLOCATED IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO ATTACK MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS OF SUCH GOODS.
"CONSEQUENTLY, A TOTAL OF 210 CASES OF MANUFACTURING OF FAKE GOODS WERE DETECTED IN 1987, WITH SEIZURES AMOUNTED TO $30 MILLION.
ALTHOUGH NEW WAYS IN THE MARKETING OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS WERE ADOPTED RECENTLY, MR TONG SAID SUCH ACTIVITIES WERE CLOSELY MONITORED AND WOULD HE GIVEN A HARD BLOW BY THE DEPARTMENT.
HE ALSO REMINDED THOSE WHO TRAVEL ABROAD NOT TO BRING BACK COUNTERFEIT GOODS, NOTING THAT SOME 200 INCOMING PASSENGERS WERE ARRESTED LAST YEAR FOR SUCH OFFENCES.
WITH THE CO-OPERATION AND SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC AND PROPERTY RIGHT OWNERS OF GENUINE GOODS, MR TONG WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT COULD BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COMMERCIAL COUNTERFEITING IN HONG KONG.
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