XN000022-1984-01-28 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 200,

+LAST YEAR, WE TOOK 421 CASES TO COURT. THE FINES AGGREGATED TO $2.5 MILLION AND AGAIN THREE PERSONS WERE COMMITTED TO PRISON,+ HE ADDED.

MR JORDAN EXPLAINED THAT MANY CASES WERE INITIATED BY THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, WHILE OTHERS WERE MOUNTED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF TRADE COMPLAINTS.

THE DEPARTMENT WORKS CLOSELY WITH VARIOUS PRIVATE INVESTIGATIVE AGENCIES AND LAWYERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE WHO SPECIALISE IN THIS FIELD.

TURNING TO COPYRIGHT, MR JORDAN SAID THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT'S COPYRIGHT PROTECTION UNIT HAD RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR VIRTUALLY ELIMINATING COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT OF AUDIO CASSETTES IN HONG KONG.

+ IT IS NOW DEALING EQUALLY VIGOROUSLY WITH VIDEO CASSETTES. ITS DETECTION AND ENFORCEMENT METHODS ARE EMULATED BY OTHER ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, HE SAID.

ON COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED STATES AUTHORITIES, MR JORDAN SAID THE TWO SIDES HAD AN EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP IN ANTI- COUNTERFEITING AS WELL AS IN OTHER MATTERS.

HE DREW ATTENTION TO SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS IN STOPPING TRADE

IN COUNTERFEIT JEANS AND FAKE COMPUTERS PRODUCTS.

IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THERE HAD BEEN 178 SEIZURES OF GOODS BEARING FORGED US TRADE MARKS AND BRAND NAMES VALUED AT NEARLY $3 MILLION, HE POINTED OUT.

RELATED PROSECUTIONS HAD RESULTED IN FINES TOTALLING $1.15 MILLION AND THE FORFEITURE OF GOODS VALUED AT OVER ONE MILLION HK DOLLARS, HE ADDED.

1.D. CARD OFFICES TO CLOSE FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR

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THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (SATURDAY) THAT THE EIGHT NEW I.D. CARD ISSUE OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED FROM FEBRUARY 2 TO 5 FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

THEY WILL, HOWEVER, REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 9.30 PM ON NEW YEAR'S EVE (FEBRUARY 1), AND WILL RE-OPEN AT 8 AM ON FEBRUARY 6.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT REMINDED MEN BORN IN 1952 AND 1953 THAT THERE ARE ONLY NINE WORKING DAYS LEFT FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR NEW 1.D. CARDS.

+THE TURN-UP RATE FOR THIS PHASE HAS BEEN SATISFACTORY. SO 69 300 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, LEAVING 34 900 MORE TO COME BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE OF FEBRUARY 11,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

FAR

/+THE ISSUE