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The Government today (August 8) sought public views on formulating a Code of Practice for the reference of Online Service Providers (OSPs).
The Government introduced the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2011 into the Legislative Council on June 15 this year with an aim to strengthen copyright protection in the digital environment. One of the key proposals of the Bill is to introduce a statutory "safe harbour" for OSPs so that their potential liability for copyright infringement occurring on their service platforms would be limited, provided that the OSPs meet certain prescribed conditions. The safe harbour will also provide a level playing field for OSPs in helping combat online piracy. To tie in with the introduction of the safe harbour, a non-statutory Code of Practice will be formulated to set out practical guidelines and procedures for OSPs to follow when they are notified of infringing activities on their service platforms. The Code will also set out the procedures for copyright owners to serve notices of alleged infringement and for subscribers to serve counter notices.
A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) said, "Views from the public and the industry will help the Government develop a mechanism for combating online piracy that best suits Hong Kong."
The draft Code of Practice has been uploaded onto the website of the CEDB (www.cedb.gov.hk/citb). Members of the public are welcome to forward their views on or before September 9, 2011, to the Assistant Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce and Industry) 3A by mail (Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch, CEDB, 23/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Admiralty, Hong Kong); by email (co_consultation@cedb.gov.hk); or by fax (2147 3065).
Ends/Monday, August 8, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:53
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