TNAG-2819-FCO40-4068-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1993 — Page 129

15 July 1993

BY FAX

Ms Rebecca Pun

Recreation and Culture Branch

Government Secretariat

Hong Kong

Dear Ms Pun,

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

270-26653

HKC 031/15

2

¿ - AUG 1993

12

SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION COPYRIGHT PROTECTION

1.

Thank you for your telno 1013 and your letter of 13 July.

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2. We initially consulted the Patent Office on the question of providing copyright protection for cable television programmes due to come on stream in Hong Kong in October. One point which they made was that whilst current copyright law in Hong Kong provides no protection for cable television programmes as such, many of the elements in a cable television programme such as the music, script, sound recordings and films, are protected. As we are not entirely clear what activites you wish to provide particular protection against, it would be helpful if you could clarify this point.

3.

Responsibility for drafting an Order in Council which would extend the provisions of the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 rests with FCO. The matter is currently with our Legal Advisers. I have asked them to let me know what the latest position is, but I am not optimistic that it will be possible to put legislation in place before October because of the parliamentary recess.

AB.SubTVLet

Yours ever

Annadele Boun

Annadele Bouch HKD

1

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