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In 1995, the highest, lowest and average fines involving pirated CD-ROMs and VCDs and per case were HK$33,000, HK$500 and HK$9,300 respectively. The corresponding figures for the first four months of 1996 were HK$52,500, HK$300 and HK$12,500 respectively. In 1995, a total of two offenders were given imprisonment sentences of one month and three months respectively for CD-ROMs and VCDs piracy offences. In the first four months of this year, a total of 18 offenders were sentenced to imprisonment, with terms of imprisonment of up to three months.
Customs has encountered difficulties in pursuing prosecution action in CD- ROM and VCD cases where the copyright owners cannot be identified, or where the owners fail to provide adequate proof of copyright infringement, or where the copyright owners are not interested in pursuing criminal prosecution, or where the copyright owners cannot afford the costs to fly their expert witnesses to Hong Kong to assist in prosecution. Both Customs and the Intellectual Property Department have stepped up liaison with the relevant copyright industry and organisations so as to encourage copyright owners to come forward to assist in prosecution. In addition, to encourage co-operation from overseas copyright owners, financial assistance will be offered to them, on a case-by-case basis, to assist in criminal investigation and prosecution.
End
Civil servants and provisional legislature
Following is a question by the Hon Tsang Kin-shing and a reply by the Secretary for Civil Service, Mr W K Lam, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Officials of the Chinese Government have announced that the provisional legislature will be set up formally after 1 July 1997, and that it will start to operate before that date. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will permit civil servants to assist, before 1 July 1997, the provisional legislature in the preparatory work relating to amending or abolishing certain laws, such as the Bill of Rights Ordinance and the six amendment ordinances which the former Preliminary Working Committee's Legal Sub-group had recommended for their amendment or abolition, contrary to the stance taken by the Government?