XN000022-1979-10-23 — Page 3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1979

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WORK OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION UNIT RECOGNISED

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THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE WELFARE FUND TODAY (TUESDAY) RECEIVED A BOOST OF $4 000 DONATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PRODUCERS OF PHONOGRAMS AND VIDEOGRAMS (IFPI) IN RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE'S OUTSTANDING EFFORT IN STAMPING OUT RECORD PIRACY IN HONG KONG,

AT A BRIEF CEREMONY HELD AT THE SERVICE'S HEADQUARTERS TODAY, THE IFPI'S SOUTHEAST ASIA REGIONAL DIRECTOR, MR. STEVE NEARY, PRESENTED A CHEQUE FOR THE AMOUNT TO THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF THE SERVICE, MR. ROY HATTON.

MR. NEARY SAID THE INDUSTRY'S LATEST REPORT ESTIMATED THAT 99 PER CENT OF ALL RECORDS AND TAPES SOLD WERE NOW LEGITIMATE, AND RECORD COMPANIES HAD REPORTED SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN SALĖS.

MR. HATTON ASSURED THAT THE SERVICE WOULD CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE COPYRIGHT LAWS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG WAS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE A SPECIAL UNIT HAD BEEN SET UP IN A DISCIPLINED FORCE, TO DEAL SOLELY WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF SUCH LAWS.

+SINCE ITS FORMATION ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, THE COPYRIGHT PROTECTION UNIT HAS SEIZED OVER HALF A MILLION PIRATED TAPES- 33 000 PIRATED GRAMOPHONE RECORDS- 1 500 RECORDING DECKS AND SEVEN HIGH-SPEED CASSETTE DUPLICATORS, MR. HATTON SAID.

+THIS FOLLOWED 47 INVESTIGATIONS FOR ILLICIT MANUFACTURE AND 244 RAIDS ON DISTRIBUTORS AND RETAILERS, WHICH RESULTED IN 335 SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS FOR VARIOUS COPYRIGHT OFFENCES, HE ADDED.

OVER THE YEARS, MANY PROBLEMS IN DEALING WITH MUSIC PIRACY HAD TO BE OVERCOME, AND THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE CO-OPERATION OF THE IFPI AND MEMBERS OF THE RECORDING INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

+HONG KONG HAS OFTEN BEEN REFERRED TO AS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION, MR. HATTON SAID.

+IT IS GRATIFYING TO KNOW THAT OUR TRADING REPUTATION WILL NO LONGER BE TARNISHED BY ALLEGATIONS OF BEING A HAVEN FOR PIRATES,+ HE ADDED.

ALSO PRESENT AT TODAY'S PRESENTATION CEREMONY WERE THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, MR. DAVID JORDAN, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, MR. KEITH BROADBRIDGE AND STAFF OF THE IFPI.

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