XN000022-1981-05-14 — Page 10

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THUESDAY, MAY 14, 1981

+THIS DEALS WITH MISDESCRIPTIONS ORALLY OR IN ADVERTISEMENTS- IT PROVIDES FOR MARKING ORDERS TO BE LAID DOWN- AND FOR INCREASED PENALTIES FOR INFRINGEMENTS.

+THE CONSUMER COUNCIL ORDINANCE HAS, OF COURSE, ALREADY MADE A CONSIDERABLE IMPACT. IT GIVES THE COUNCIL AUTHORITY TO PROTECT CONSUMERS BY PROVIDING FACTUAL INFORMATION AND SETTLING COMPLAINTS. MY DEPARTMENT WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE COUNCIL IN THIS EFFORT,+ HE SAID.

+WE HAVE REGRETTABLY FALLEN BEHIND IN THE MATTER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, BUT WE HAVE RECRUITED AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD AND ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE IN PREPARING A NEW LAW WHICH WILL, WE ANTICIPATE, DEFINE THE VARIOUS UNITS, SPECIFY TYPES OF EQUIPMENT AND SET UP A SPECIAL INSPECTORATE. IMPLEMENTATION WILL, I EXPECT, BEGIN IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR FROM NOW, HE PREDICTED.

MR DORWARD SAID THAT OTHER AREAS FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE CONSUMER PROTECTION WERE HIRE PURCHASE AND PRODUCT SAFETY STANDARDS.

+WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING AN EXTENSION OF THE NEW TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE TO COVER MORE THAN JUST GOODS, AS AT PRESENT, AND TO INCLUDE, PERHAPS, SERVICES AND ACCOMMODATION, HE SAID.

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RECOGNITION OF CUSTOMS' ACTIONS AGAINST RECORD-PIRACY

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+THOSE WHO ATTEMPT TO STEAL FROM HONG KONG INDUSTRY OR TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC WITH COUNTERFEIT AND INFERIOR PRODUCTS WILL BE VIGOROUSLY DEALT WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND CONTROLS, MR DOUGLAS JORDAN, TOLD REPRESENTATIVES AND GUESTS OF THE RECORDING INDUSTRY TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS DURING A PRESENTATION OF $68 000 TO THE SERVICE'S WELFARE FUND BY THE HONG KONG GROUP AND THE REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PRODUCERS OF PHONOGRAMS AND VIDEOGRAMS (IFPI). THE PRESENTATION WAS MADE BY MR JAMES WOLSEY, REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF IFP1, AND MR CHUNG KUM-PUI, CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG GROUP.

THE DONATION WAS IN RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE'S OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION, SPECIFICALLY IN REDUCING MUSIC PIRACY IN HONG KONG.

+ IT IS OF COURSE AN OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT OF WHICH THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE FORMS AN IMPORTANT PART TO PROTECT THE LEGITIMATE TRADE OF HONG KONG, SAID MR JORDAN.

+OUR RECORD SHOWS WE MEAN BUSINESS, AND I TRUST IT WILL SERVE AS A WARNING TO OTHERS WHO MAY BE TEMPTED TO FLOUT COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION, HE CONTINUED.

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MR JORDAN SAID THE SERVICE'S RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE COPYRIGHT LAWS IN HONG KONG HAVE A RELATIVELY SHORT HISTORY JUST OVER SEVEN YEARS - BUT THE SUCCESSES ARE ALREADY WELL KNOWN BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.

WE ARE

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