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Customs cracked five piracy cases under the "Fast Action Scheme" at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition), which was held from April 14 to 17.
Seven products infringing copyright, worth $1,160, were seized. They included LED lights, fluorescent tubes and TV wall mounts.
Five Mainland companies were involved in the cases.
The officers arrested four men and a woman, aged 24 to 45, for contravening the Copyright Ordinance.
Launched in July 2006, the scheme is implemented by Hong Kong Customs and Hong Kong Brands Protection Alliance (HKBPA) at large-scale exhibitions in Hong Kong.
Acting on complaints from two local companies which were the copyright owners and HKBPA members, Customs officers raided the booths of the five Mainland companies, seizing the seven products.
"Most of the exhibitors are law-abiding. Copyright infringement activities in exhibitions are not serious in Hong Kong. With HKBPA's co-operation, the department is able to conduct fast investigations," a spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department said today (April 17).
Including the cases cracked at the Electronics Fair, Customs has detected a total of 55 cases at 17 large-scale exhibitions since the launch of the scheme.
Under the scheme, HKBPA members file copyright information of their products to HKBPA's database before exhibitions. When suspected infringement activity is found during an exhibition, Customs can make use of the database to speed up investigation.
The department has pledged to take enforcement action within 24 hours against intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement activities at large-scale exhibitions.
Any person who contravenes the Copyright Ordinance is liable to prosecution. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 for each infringing copy and imprisonment for four years upon conviction.
Ends/Thursday, April 17, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:15
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