TNAG-0330-FCO40-366-Visit-of-Parliamentary-Under-Secretary-of-State--Anthony-Roy-1972 — Page 78

CONFIDENTIAL

This was held up because of a problem which had arisen over RTV's exclusive licence to operate a wired television relay service (i.e. to relay the programmes of TVB). The draft Hong Kong Copyright Bill included a clause which was designed to make the relay of a broadcast sound or television programme, without the permission of the originators of the programme, an infringement of copyright.

9. The Hong Kong Government have now asked that the Copyright Act of 1956 should be extended to Hong Kong with effect from

1 January 1973. We have passed this request on to the DTI. who deal with the Act. Hong Kong are still working on the local legislation which they hope will be completed by the end of the year.

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CONFIDENTIAL