XN000022-1980-02-17 — Page 3

YHAU?

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1980

MR PAK DESCRIBED AS A RIGHT STEP+ GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO MOVE THE TANNERIES FROM SHEUNG SHUI. +WE WERE OBVIOUSLY QUITE RELUCTANT TO MOVE AT THE TIME, BUT WE HAVE BENEFITED BY DOING SO, HE SAID. +NOW WE ARE HAPPY TO BE IN THE TANNING BUSINESS KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT CAUSING THE AWFUL POLLUTION WE WERE AT SHEUNG SHUI, +

A NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS HOPED THAT OTHER TANNERY OPERATORS CLEARED FROM SHEUNG SHUI WOULD RE-ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AT KWAI CHUNG. THERE ARE OBVIOUS ADVANTAGES IN DOING SO, HE SAID.

ACTION STEPPED UP AGAINST COMMERCIAL FRAUD

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THE TRADE INVESTIGATION BRANCH OF THE TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT IS APPLYING INCREASING PRESSURE ON UNSCRUPULOUS TRADERS TO PROTECT THE INTERNATIONAL TRADING REPUTATION OF HONG KONG.

LOCAL CONSUMERS, TOO, WILL BENEFIT FROM REINFORCED ACTION DIRECTED AGAINST FALSE TRÅDE DESCRIPTIONS.

SOME MANUFACTURERS PROFIT BY FAKING SUPERIOR PRODUCTS. HOWEVER HONG KONG DOES NOT THRIVE ON THEIR MISPLACED INGENUITY AND THE IR MALPRACTICES MUST BE EXPOSED.

COUNTERFEITING COVERS NOT ONLY HIGH FASHION AND ACCESSORIES AND BRAND-NAME WATCHES, BUT ALSO SUCH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AS DETERGENTS AND TOILET PAPER.

FREQUENTLY SUCH IMITATIONS ARE OF INFERIOR QUALITY AND THUS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS THE TRADING STANDING OF HONG KONG, SUFFER.

LAST YEAR, 77. CASES INVOLVING IMITATION TRADE MARKS OR MISLEADING LABELS WERE TAKEN TO COURT. SOME $1.6 MILLION WORTH OF COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS WERE SEIZED.

PRINCIPAL INDUSTRY OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S TRADE INVESTIGATION BRANCH, MR DAVID YIP NOTED THAT THERE WAS NOW INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF BUYER'S RIGHTS.

+WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE TRADE MARK OWNERS ON OUR SIDE BUT IT IS PLEASING THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOW PREPARED TO BRING CASES OF FALSE LABELLING TO US. OTHER REPORTS ARE BEING FED TO US BY THE CONSUMER COUNCIL AND THE TOURIST ASSOCIATION, HE SAID.

+ IF THE WRATH OF THE CONSUMER IS INSUFFICIENT INCENTIVE, THERE IS ALSO A MONETARY REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE SEIZURE OF FAKED WATCHES OR THE CONVICTION OF WATCH COUNTERFEITERS.

+THIS REWARD SCHEME IS OPERATED BY THE SWISS WATCH INDUSTRY INFORMATION CENTRE AND TWO MAJOR JAPANESE WATCH MANUFACTURERS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT, SAID MR YIP.

/ANOTHER IMPORTANT