XN000022-1987-08-08 — Page 3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1987

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE PIRACY UNDER CONTROL

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE PIRACY IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN LARGELY UNDER CONTROL DUE TO CUSTOMS EFFORTS, AS EVIDENCED BY A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN PROSECUTIONS AGAINST SUCH OFFENCES IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THE CUSTOMS AND RELATING TO COMPUTER

PERIOD AND RESULTED

EXCISE DEPARTMENT HAS PROSECUTED 25 CASES SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT DURING THE IN TOTAL FINES OF $89,100, REPRESENTING A DECREASE OF 36 PER CENT AND 22 PER CENT PERIOD LAST YEAR.

RESPECTIVELY

OVER THE SAME

TO

THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A SLIGHT DROP IN THE VALUE OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS SEIZED BY CUSTOMS FROM $29 MILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1986 $27 MILLION IN THE SAME PERIOD THIS YEAR. THE SEIZURES INCLUDED MAINLY GARMENTS, WATCHES, LEATHER GOODS, FOODSTUFF AND PLASTIC GOODS.

REGARDING OFFENCES UNDER THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE, PROSECUTIONS HAVE INCREASED BY 2.5 PER CENT TO 415 FROM A YEAR EARLIER. IN ADDITION TO TOTAL FINES OF ABOUT $2.4 MILLION, 14 IMPRISONMENT SENTENCES RANGING FROM ONE MONTH TO 12 MONTHS WERE ALSO IMPOSED.

DURING THE PERIOD, 419 PROSECUTIONS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED AGAINST OTHER TRADE IRREGULARITIES, REPRESENTING A 5.5 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR. THEY INCLUDED CONTRAVENTIONS OF FACTORY REGISTRATION CONDITIONS, FURNISHING FALSE INFORMATION IN APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN, EXPORTS OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS WITHOUT VALID LICENCES, UNDERVALUATION OF IMPORT AND EXPORT DECLARATIONS AND TEXTILES LICENSING FRAUD. A TOTAL FINE OF ABOUT $9.4 MILLION WAS IMPOSED AND TWO PERSONS WERE GIVEN SUSPENDED IMPRISONMENT SENTENCES RANGING FROM ONE TO TWO MONTHS.

CONCERTED EFFORTS ESSENTIAL IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

HUMAN SUFFERING

AND THE TRAGIC LOSS OF MANY SKILLED AND EFFICIENT WORKERS THROUGH DEATH OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WERE FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN THE LOSS OF PRODUCTION, DAMAGE TO PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, AND HEAVY COMPENSATION COSTS, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR RON BRIDGE, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW TOWN PLAZA INDUSTRIAL SAFETY EXHIBITION, MR BRIDGE STRESSED THAT INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WAS AN ISSUE FOR WHICH THERE WAS INCREASING PIBLIC CONCERN.

/"EXPERIENCE SHOWS .....................