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PressRelease.gif (2138 bytes)
March 30, 2001

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HKGCC CALLS FOR ELIMINATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF IPR LAW TO PHOTOCOPYING

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) today called for the elimination of implementation of the new IPR Ordinance when applied to photocopying. This means that an immediate postponement of the Intellectual Property (Misc Amendment) Ordinancewhich is due to take effect on 1 Aprilregarding photocopying is necessary.

HKGCC strongly supports the protection of intellectual property rights and has actively promoted the benefits of IPR protection to the business community. In fact, it has always felt that this is critical to Hong Kong's development as a knowledge-based economy. But HKGCC is not convinced that the law should be applied to newspaper/magazine photocopying in the office.

"A person ought to be labeled a 'pirate' if he/she copies a software for work without permission. This should be strictly forbidden. But to be called a 'pirate' just because one photocopied a newspaper article - it flies in the face of common sense," commented HKGCC Director Dr Eden Woon. "We believe that to apply the Amendment to photocopying in the office will be against the spirit of the Ordinance, which is to combat corporate piracy, not to inconvenience business." He added.

HKGCC believes that implementation is going to be a serious problem if the government were to apply the Ordinance to photocopying of newspapers. HKGCC predicts that there will be mass confusion and non-compliance if the government goes ahead to enforce this aspect of the Ordinance which is "not well-thought-out." Not only is the idea draconian, the mechanism for citizens to honor this aspect of the amendment is not even in place.

HKGCC asks the government to consider an interpretation of the Amended Ordinance to exclude its application to photocopying of newspaper and magazine articles. If the legal interpretation remains that such reprographic rights is indeed covered by the Ordinance, then HKGCC would prefer an amendment to exclude it. "Government will take time to explore these, that is why we are asking for an immediate delay," explained Dr Woon.

"It is out of support for the spirit of the Ordinance that we feel necessary to object to its application to casual photocopying," said Dr Woon.


For further information, contact Dr Eden Woon on 2823-1211.

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