ENG-2006 — Page 152

120 | Commerce and Industry

reduced. The department has established two dedicated teams for fighting internet piracy. The teams have achieved the following since establishment:

Cases effected

Copyright cases

47

Trade descriptions cases

23

29

Persons arrested

Seizure value

78

$3.32 million

$1.75 million

The department continued to work closely with the intellectual property rights. industry. New initiatives in 2006 included the Fast Action Scheme, which aims at achieving quick response to complaints about infringements received in exhibitions; and the Youth Ambassador Against Internet Piracy Scheme, which aims at combating illegal file-sharing activities on the Internet using the BitTorrent (BT) software and educating youngsters to respect intellectual property rights.

Public Education

In 2006, the Intellectual Property Department continued to roll out territory-wide campaigns and produce announcements of public interest to emphasise the importance of intellectual property rights. Its primary and secondary school visits programme promoting respect for intellectual property rights was run for the tenth year in 2006, covering 71 schools and 27 483 students. During the year, the department intensified its efforts to assist the business community to achieve intellectual property compliance. A pilot 'Business Software Certification Programme' was launched to help organisations, especially SMEs, manage their software assets effectively. The department continued to commission annual surveys on public awareness of and the business sector's attitudes towards intellectual property. The results of the surveys provided useful insights for strengthening government efforts in promoting intellectual property rights.

Cooperation with Mainland Counterparts

The Intellectual Property Department continued to work closely with its Mainland counterparts in promoting protection of intellectual property rights under the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights. Cooperation projects included organising seminars on 'Intellectual Property and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development' in Guangdong Province to encourage SMEs to manage properly their intellectual property rights, and launching the 'No Fakes' Pledge Scheme in various cities in Guangdong province. The department also assisted the State Intellectual Property Office of China in facilitating Hong Kong residents to take the National Qualification Examination for Patent Agents 2006. Under the Pan-Pearl River Delta Intellectual Property Cooperation framework, a programme for civil services in the region was arranged for further exchange of experience and information on intellectual property protection.

In 2006, Hong Kong Customs continued to have close cooperation with its counterparts in the Mainland in exchanging experience in the enforcement of intellectual property-related offences. Liaison meetings, training seminars, visits and