ENG-1972 — Page 47

INDUSTRY AND TRADE

Trade and Industrial Organisations

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Founded more than a century ago, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Com- merce is the earliest established trade association in Hong Kong. Its membership stood at 2,121 as at end of 1972. It is an association representing all branches of commerce and industry, and is represented on a number of government boards and committees; it is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Federa- tion of Commonwealth Chambers of Commerce.

The Federation of Hong Kong Industries, established by ordinance in 1960, devotes much of its efforts towards helping to create an infrastructure to assist Hong Kong industry in its growth. Its membership represents all industries, many nation- alities and all sizes of enterprise. Among the services which it offers on a community basis are its Standards Centre and its Testing Laboratories for textiles, plastic and electrical products. To encourage the development of better industrial design in Hong Kong, the Industrial Design Council of the federation has instituted two awards for Hong Kong designed products: The Governor's Award for Hong Kong Design and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Award for Good Design. Competitions are held annually. The federation has also set up a Packaging Council and Packing Centre to promote creativity and innovation in the fields of product design and packaging. The Packing Centre also regularly co-sponsors packaging competitions in co- operation with the Chinese Manufacturers' Association.

Established in 1934, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong has a membership of over 2,000, representing factories of all sizes and industries. The association, which is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, has played an important role in the industrial development of Hong Kong. Each year, the association organises an exhibition of Hong Kong products which attracts an attendance of nearly two million visitors.

Trade Marks and Patents

Trade marks are registered under the Trade Marks Ordinance, which is based on the Trade Marks Act 1938 of the United Kingdom. The procedure is laid down in the Trade Marks Rules, and the prescribed forms may be obtained, free of charge, from the Registrar of Trade Marks, Registrar General's Department. Every mark, even if already registered in the United Kingdom or any other country, must satisfy all the requirements of the Hong Kong Trade Marks Ordinance before it may be accepted for registration. During the year, 2,807 applications were received and 1,641 (including many made in previous years) were accepted and allowed to proceed to advertisement. A total of 1,900 marks were registered, the principal countries of origin being:

Switzerland

United States of America

410

Hong Kong

385

France

Japan

366

Italy

United Kingdom

200

Australia

West Germany

137

91

69

41

30

30

The Netherlands

The total number of marks on the Register at December 31, 1972, was 27,671.