ENG-1975 — Page 51

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INDUSTRY AND TRADE

The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong has a membership of more than 2,000 representing factories and companies of all sizes and business activities. The association is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce and has played an important role in the industrial development of Hong Kong. It helps promote new product manufacture and takes an interest in industrial training, having provided funds for the construction of a prevocational training school. It has held an annual Hong Kong New Products Award Competition since 1970.

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 Trade Marks Registry, Registrar General's Department. Every mark, even if already registered in Britain or any other country, must satisfy all the require ments of the Hong Kong Trade Marks Ordinance before it may be accepted for registration. During the year 2,968 applications were received and 1,701 (including many applications made in previous years) were accepted and allowed to proceed to advertisement. A total of 1,530 marks were registered, the principal countries of origin being:

United States...

Hong Kong

Japan

Britain

West Germany

363

Switzerland

348

France

212

Australia

181

Italy

90

Netherlands

4.

81

44

32

32

18

The total number of marks on the register at December 31, 1975, was 31,339.

There is no original grant of patents in Hong Kong, but the Registration of United Kingdom Patents Ordinance provides that any person being the grantee of a United Kingdom patent may, within five years from the date of its issue, apply to have his patent registered in Hong Kong. Registration of a United Kingdom patent in Hong Kong confers on the grantee of the patent the same privileges and rights as though the patent had been issued in Britain with an extension to Hong Kong. The privileges and rights run from the date of the patent in Britain, and continue as long as the patent remains in force there. A total of 605 patents were registered during the year, compared with 700 in 1974.

Companies

The Companies Registry keeps records of all companies incorporated in Hong Kong and also of all foreign corporations which have established a place of business in Hong Kong. Local companies are incorporated under the Companies Ordinance, which is still based largely on the (now superseded) Companies Act 1929 of Great Britain. However, following the two reports of the Companies Law Revision Com- mittee in June 1971 and April 1973, the Companies Ordinance is being amended by stages so as to bring its provisions more into line with those of the Companies Act 1948.