Reward scheme to combat illegal photocopying of books launched

Hong Kong Customs and the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society today (October 13) launched a reward scheme to encourage the public to provide information on activities involving underground illegal photocopying of books.

The "Reward Scheme to Combat Illegal Photocopying of Books" is financed by the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society (HKRRLS) and administered by the Hong Kong Customs.

The Acting Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Investigation), Mr Tam Yiu-keung, and the Chairman of HKRRLS, Mr Fred Armantrout, today signed an agreement to launch the reward scheme.

The basic requirements for the payment of reward are:

1. the book(s) being illegally photocopied is(are) published by publishers participating in the Reward Scheme;
2. the illegal photocopying activities do not take place at premises providing photocopying services openly to the public.

Subject to the fulfilment of the above requirements, reward money may be payable to a person providing information as follows:

• Reward of $5,000:
  information leading to the arrest of any person and seizure of one to three copying machines and at least 20 illegal photocopies of books in any one operation.
• Reward of $10,000:
  information leading to the arrest of any person and seizure of four to 10 copying machines and at least 20 illegal photocopies of books in any one operation.
• Reward of $20,000:
  information leading to the arrest of any person and seizure of more than 10 copying machines and at least 100 illegal photocopies of books in any one operation.

Members of the public can provide information via e-mail (customsenquiry@customs.gov.hk) or through the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182. All information of the informants will be kept confidential.

Under the Copyright Ordinance, it is an offence for a person to possess, for the purpose of or in the course of a profit-making copying service business, an infringing copy of a copyright work as published in a book, magazine or periodical. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and four years' imprisonment.

Following up on a complaint from the public, Customs officers from the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau yesterday (October 12) smashed an underground illegal photocopying workshop and a storage centre after raiding two residential premises and a photocopying shop in Sai Wan Ho.

Customs officers seized 1,510 infringing photocopies of textbooks and three photocopying machines. The total seizure was worth about $200,000.

Two men, aged 37 and 39 respectively, and an 18-year-old woman were arrested. The 37-year-old man arrested was the proprietor of a photocopying shop located in a nearby shopping arcade.

Customs suspected that the shop had attempted to evade Customs crackdown by setting up underground illegal photocopying workshops in nearby domestic premises.

In addition to yesterday's enforcement, Customs mounted a territory-wide anti-illegal photocopying operation today. After searching nine photocopying shops, the officers seized four infringing reprographic copies of books and a photocopying machine in a shop in Chai Wan. The seizure was worth about $10,000. A 40-year-old woman was arrested.

The Divisional Commander (Copyright Investigation), Mr Jimmy Tam, said today (October 13), "Subsequent to Customs continuous and prolonged efforts to clamp down illegal photocopying activities, we find that some of these illegal photocopying activities have shifted to the mode of operating underground, such as on residential and industrial premises, in a bid to evade Customs detection."

Ends/Thursday, October 13, 2005