ENG-2016 — Page 133

5

Commerce and Industry

Patents

The Patents Ordinance provides for the grant of standard patents based on the corresponding patents granted by one of three designated patent offices, namely the State Intellectual Property Office of China, United Kingdom Patent Office, and European Patent Office in respect of patents designating the United Kingdom. It also provides for the grant of short-term patents upon formality examination. The Patents Registry received 14,092 standard patent applications and 762 short-term patent applications in 2016. It granted 5,698 standard patents and 485 short-term patents, representing a decrease of 4.4 per cent and 2 per cent respectively compared with 2015.

In June 2016, the Legislative Council passed the Patents (Amendment) Bill 2015 to provide for the fundamental legal framework for reforming the local patent system. This is significant in facilitating Hong Kong's development into an IP trading hub and a regional innovation and technology hub.

Registered Designs

In 2016, the Designs Registry received 2,515 applications for the registration of 4,936 designs and registered 4,432 designs, a 5.7 per cent decrease from 2015.

Copyright

The Copyright Ordinance protects literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, typographical arrangements of published editions, sound recordings, films, broadcasts, cable programmes and performers' performances irrespective of the domicile of the copyright owners. In line with international practice, there is no requirement to register copyright.

Enforcement

The Customs and Excise Department enforces criminal sanctions against the infringement of intellectual property rights. It investigates reports of copyright infringement and trade mark counterfeiting; maintains licensing control on all optical disc and stamper factories; and takes action against the manufacture, distribution, sale, import and export of pirated and counterfeit goods and possession for business use.

In addition to targeted raids, officers carry out intensive and high-profile patrols in high-risk. areas to deter the peddling of pirated and counterfeit goods, including street sales. In 2016, the department arrested 158 people in 124 piracy cases and confiscated goods, mostly pirated optical discs, worth $2.7 million. It also seized counterfeit goods worth $158 million and arrested 650 people in 809 cases of forged trade marks.

Customs-Business Partnership

To help effective enforcement against piracy and counterfeiting activities, the department liaises closely with businesses to promote intellectual property rights protection.

Public Education

The Intellectual Property Department promotes the value of intellectual property trading and the importance of protecting intellectual property rights. In 2016, nine trade associations with

95

1