A coalition of Hong Kong copyright associations (including CASBAA) and internet service providers is urging the SAR government to move expeditiously to enact copyright amendments that were six years in the making, but which stalled in the Legislative Council before it adjourned for elections last summer. At that time the legislation was criticized because of allegations it would restrain political parodies based on photos and other copyrighted works. The coalition noted that the legislation represents “a balance of considerations for all stakeholders, including many safeguards for real ‘parody’,” and urged the government to swiftly amend the 2011 bill, clarify the proposed criminal liability relating to “parody,” and submit the Bill to the Legislative Council “at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Download the full statement of the coalition here.
For its part, CASBAA joined the coalition in supporting rapid passage of the existing legislation, believing that broad-based unity of stakeholders in legitimate content is important, and noting that Hong Kong’s policy development process has dragged on for far too long. But the bill itself is no panacea. CASBAA’s Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros described it as “thin gruel” that will “do little or nothing to stem the rampant growth in online piracy of TV content in Hong Kong.” CASBAA urges the government to proceed rapidly to obtain enactment of this bill, and then move on rapidly to taking serious action to deal with the real problems of piracy in the digital age.
CASBAA joins other Hong Kong industry associations in an exchange of views with Hong Kong legislators from the IT sector. On the left, IT Sector Representative Charles Mok, and Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros. At the right, directly-elected legislator Sin Chung-Kai.