The Hong Kong Copyright Alliance urges the Legislative Council to endorse the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 (“Bill”) to both bolster the freedom of expression and protect the creative sector from online piracy.
“The Bill not only ensures the freedom of expression, but also safeguards intellectual property rights. It is a lifeline for our ailing industry. It is a necessary measure allowing for the proper functioning of our economy in this age of new media and flawless mass digital transmission,” said Alliance convener Ms. Jenny Wong.
The Alliance, representing over 1,400 companies in the creative and entertainment industries in Hong Kong, believes the Bill represents a reasonable balance of interests among the stakeholders. The Bill will:
The public debate on the issues contained in the Bill started over a decade ago. The existing Copyright Ordinance is outdated and fails to provide an effective legal framework to tackle infringements in a new media environment.
“The Bill is long overdue. Prolonging deliberation is not an option as infringing activities have threatened and continue to threaten the survival of much of our industries,” said Ms. Wong.
The Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 will be tabled for resumption of second reading on 9 December 2015.
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For more information, please contact:
-Mr. Sam Ho
-Ms. Jenny Wong
-Mr. Peter Lam
-Ms. Fiona Wan (Tel: 2375 6669 / 9401 3007)
About Hong Kong Copyright Alliance
Hong Kong Copyright Alliance consists of 16 organizations of the music, film, TV broadcasting, comics and animation, software and information technology sectors with over 1,400 member companies. It is broadly representative of the copyright and creative industries regarding copyright protection in Hong Kong. The 16 organizations are: