XN000022-1985-06-07 — Page 19

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PRID. 1, JUNE 7, 1985

+ IN THAT COMMUNIQUE. THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE WORKSHOP REAFFIRMED THEIR STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE OBJECTIVE OF FULL APPLICATION OF THE NORMAL RULES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM. THEY REGARDED A CATEGORICAL AND UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT BY THE IMPORTING COUNTRIES TO APPLY SUCH RULES AND PRINCIPLES AS CONSTITUTING THE FIRST STEP FOR MEANINGFUL WORK ON TEXTILES AND CLOTHING IN THE FUTURE. HE SAID.

+ACTIONS MUST BE DIRECTED TO A SIGNIFICANT AND SUBSTANTIAL LIBERALISATION. PARTICIPANTS ALSO REITERATED THEIR DETERMINATION TO CONTINUE TO WORK IN A CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE MANNER IN THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE GATT WORKING PARTY ON TEXTILES AND CLOTHING. ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNCIL PURSUANT TO THE MINISTERIAL DECLARATION OF 1982.+

CUSTOMS DETERMINED TO WIPE OUT COUNTERFEITING

****

THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT IS DETERMINED TO ENFORCE THE LAW ON INTELLECTUAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND TO ROOT OUT THE UNSCRUPULOUS FEW ENGAGED IN COMMITTING COPYRIGHT AND COUNTERFEITING OFFENCES.

THIS WAS SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, MR HARNAM GREWAL, AT A PRESENTATION CEREMONY.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THREE PUBLISHERS' ASSOCIATIONS - THE BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE BRITISH PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION, THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN PUBLISHERS AND THE ANGLO-CHINESE TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS ORGANISATION LTD - PRESENTED A PLAQUE AND TWO BANNERS TO THE COMMISSIONER IN RECOGNITION OF CUSTOMS EFFORTS TO ERADICATE PIRACY OF LITERARY WORKS IN HONG KONG.

SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, MR GREWAL SAID: +BY THE EARLY 1980'S PIRACY OF LITERARY WORKS HAD BEEN BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL INTERDICTION OF 12 ILLEGAL PRINTING CENTRES AND THE SEIZURE OF INFRINGING BOOKS VALUED AT $1.8 MILLION.

+HOWEVER, IN MID-1984

IN MID-1984, A NEW TREND BECAME APPARENT WHEREBY INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IN LITERARY WORKS WAS AGAIN TAKING PLACE ON A FAIRLY LARGE SCALE, THIS TIME THE CULPRITS BEING PHOTOCOPYING ESTABLISHMENTS.+

IN RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION, AN OPERATION WAS LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR AGAINST THESE ESTABLISHMENTS. AS A RESULT, 27 ESTABLISHMENTS OFFERING PHOTOCOPYING SERVICES WERE RAIDED, MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF INFRINGING BOOKS AND EQUIPMENT WERE SEIZED AND 61 PERSONS WERE ARRESTED.

/IN ORDER