Customs officers yesterday (January 14) seized a total of 122 infringing parallel imported movie DVDs, worth $4,600, in raids on nine shops in Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O.
They arrested three men and eight women, aged 24 to 40, including a company director, a manager and nine shop assistants. All are on bail pending further investigations.
The success of the operation was attributed to the full co-operation and support given by the copyright owner concerned.
The Group Head (Intellectual Property Investigation (Operations)), Mr Lee Kam-keung, said today (January 15), “Hong Kong Customs will continue to work closely with the copyright industry to step up enforcement action against illicit activities involving parallel imported copies of copyright work.”
The amended Copyright Ordinance came into force on July 6, 2007. Under the amended Ordinance, it is a criminal offence to deal in (that is, sell, hire or distribute for profit) parallel imported copies of any copyright work (except computer software products); or import parallel imported copies of any copyright work (except computer software products) for dealing in the copies if such acts are done within 15 months from the date the copyright work was first published anywhere in the world.
Any person contravening the Copyright Ordinance is liable to the maximum penalty of a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and an imprisonment for four years.
Mr Lee appealed to shop owners not to engage in the sales activities of illicit parallel imported copies of copyright work, adding that they should clarify the copyright subsistence of the parallel imported copyright work, such as a movie, with the respective copyright owner or distributor.
Ends/Thursday, January 15, 2009
