XN000022-1986-04-25 — Page 7

6

ON

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1986

CARE TAKEN TO PROTECT INTERNATIONAL TRADING IMAGE

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THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE INFRINGEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS UNDERMINED INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATION, THE HEAD OF THE CUSTOMS TRADING STANDARDS INVESTIGATION BUREAU, MR JOHN HOWARD, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

ADDRESSING A SEMINAR OF THE DESIGN AND PACKAGING CENTRE OF THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, MR HOWARD SAID HONG KONG HAD TAKEN PARTICULAR CARE TO PROTECT ITS INTERNATIONAL TRADING IMAGE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF ITS TRADING SYSTEM.

TO MEET THIS END, HE SAID, HONG KONG HAD DEVELOPED COMPREHENSIVE

INDUSTRIAL LAWS COVERING TRADE MARKS, TRADE DESCRIPTIONS, COPYRIGHT DESIGNS AND PATENTS AND COMMITTED SUBSTANTIAL RESOURCES TO THE VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT OF THESE LAWS.

+THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS OF HONG KONG ARE, IN FACT, MORE STRINGENT THAN THE LAWS AND PRACTICES OF MANY COUNTRIES - DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING.

+ THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE, WHICH CAME INTO FORCE ON APRIL 1, 1981, SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITS FALSE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS, FORGED TRADE MARKS AND ANY MIS-STATEMENTS IN RESPECT OF GOODS PROVIDED IN THE COURSE OF TRADE.

+THE LAW MAKES IT AN OFFENCE FOR A PERSON EITHER TO APPLY A FALSE TRADE DESCRIPTION TO GOODS OR TO SUPPLY OR BE IN POSSESSION OF SUCH GOODS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRADE GENERALLY.

+ IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE PROHIBITION AND SEIZURE OF OFFENDING IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.+

AS FOR THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE WHICH WAS ENACTED IN MARCH 1973, IT PROVIDES FOR CRIMINAL SANCTIONS, WHICH MAY BE SOUGHT AGAINST COPYRIGHT PIRACY AND AFFORDS PROTECTION FOR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AGAINST INFRINGEMENT OF LITERARY, DRAMATIC, MUSICAL AND ARTISTIC WORKS, SOUND RECORDINGS, CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS, TELEVISION AND SOUND BROADCASTS AND PUBLISHED EDITIONS OF WORK, BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN.

+COPYRIGHT PROTECTION AGAINST INFRINGEMENT IS ACCORDED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS WITHOUT REGISTRATION IN HONG KONG, HE EXPLAINED.

MR HOWARD SAID ENFORCEMENT OF THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE AND THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE LEGISLATIONS WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT WHICH HAD A SPECIAL TASK FORCE COMPRISING 150 INVESTIGATORS WHO HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF POWERS.

/+THE STRATEGY