XN000022-1985-05-10 — Page 9

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, MAY 10, 1985

IN 1978, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATED 213 COUNTERFEITING CASES AND PROSECUTIONS WERE INSTITUTED IN 56 OF THESE CASES. COUNTERFEIT GOODS OF A TOTAL VALUE OF $1 MILLION WERE SEIZED.

IN 1984, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES INVESTIGATED INCREASED TO 865, AND PROSECUTIONS WERE INSTITUTED IN 432 OF THEM, THE TOTAL VALUE OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS SEIZED AMOUNTED TO $32 MILLION.

+AS FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE, UP TO MID-APRIL, ALREADY MADE INVESTIGATION INTO 307 CASES, AND MADE 176 PROSECUTIONS. THE TOTAL VALUE OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS SEIZED AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN $4 MILLION.

THE

+OUR PAST EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT GREAT MAJORITY OF THE COUNTERFEIT GOODS SEIZED ARE APPARELS AND WRIST WATCHES. VALUE OF THESE TWO KINDS OF GOODS SEIZED LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN $26 MILLION, OR 81 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF SEIZURE, + MR TONG SAID.

HE SAID THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HONG KONG IN STOPPING COMMERCIAL COUNTERFEITING ACTIVITIES HAD BEEN WELL NOTED AND PRAISED

INTERNATIONALLY.

ACCORDING TO AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PHONOGRAM AND VIDEOGRAM INDUSTRIES (IFPI), 99 PER CENT OF THE GRAMOPHONE RECORDS AND TAPES ON SALE IN HONG KONG ARE LAWFUL PRODUCTS.

MR TONG POINTED OUT THAT THE COPYRIGHT DIVISION OF THE CUSTOMS INVESTIGATION BUREAU PLAYED A PIONEERING ROLE IN CRACKING DOWN THE COUNTERFEITING OF TAPES.

AFTER A LARGE-SCALE TERRITORY-WIDE OPERATION IN 1981, ILLEGAL PRODUCTION OF COUNTERFEIT TAPES HAD DIED DOWN. +HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNS RECENTLY THAT SUCH ACTIVITIES ARE RESURGING AGAIN, THIS TIME INCLUDING THE PRODUCTION OF COUNTERFEIT VIDEOTAPES.

+THE COPYRIGHT DIVISION OF THE CUSTOMS INVESTIGATION BUREAU RESPONDED TO THIS QUICKLY AND CRACKED THREE CASES OF COUNTERFEIT BLANK TAPES AND VIDEOTAPES.

+ INVESTIGATIONS HAVE ALSO REVEALED THAT THE SAID COUNTERFEIT GOODS ARE NOT FOR LOCAL SALE BUT FOR EXPORT TO CHINA,+ HE SAID.

MR TONG SAID IN ORDER TO STAMP OUT THE ACTIVITIES OF SELLING COUNTERFEIT COMMERCIAL GOODS IN THE STREETS AND TOURIST AREAS, A NEW OPERATION UNIT WITH MORE THAN 30 MEMBERS, UNDER THE CUSTOMS INVESTIGATION BUREAU, HAD BEEN SET UP RECENTLY, AND WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE TRADE INVESTIGATION BUREAU TO DEAL WITH THE SELLING OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS.

HE WARNED