bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Skim through the newspapers and you will discover many crimes concerning infringement of intellectual property or selling counterfeit products.

In some shopping centres you will find many people buy pirated CDs.

The number of factories and shops that manufacture or sell pirated CDs has been increasing.

The problem of infringement of intellectual property has reached an alarming stage. Obviously, there is an urgent need to contain the problem. There are many factors behind the problem, but one is the low price of the fakes.

Some may cost almost five times less than the genuine product. Hence, many people are attracted to buying counterfeit products.

Many Hong Kong people also show a complete disregard for the importance of intellectual property.

The government does not allocate sufficient resources to dissuade the public from buying fake goods.

Hong Kong schools do not provide enough education to teach students the downside of buying fakes.

Insufficient education is one of the prime reasons for infringement of intellectual property, so enhancing civic education should be a top priority of the government.

Lack of control also contributes to the problem. The Customs Department has a duty to crack down on counterfeit goods, but customs officials say they do not have enough people to handle the job.

The prevalence of fakes has a negative impact on society, discouraging foreign investors and tarnishing the international reputation of Hong Kong.

Computer software companies may reduce or stop investing in software. Eventually, we will be the losers.

To tackle the problem, different parties should co-operate. The government should raid shops selling fakes more frequently and Customs should employ more people to carry out raids.

The government should also step up publicity on fakes.

Whether we can clamp down on the infringement of intellectual property hinges on educating the public.

The importance of protecting intellectual property should be taught in the public arena and schools.

In recent year, factories manufacturing fake goods have moved from Hong Kong to China and other Asian countries.

Therefore, it has become an international issue, so the government needs to co-operate with other countries.

Hong Kong can organise international forums and meetings to share its experience on resolving the problem.

The government's efforts are of paramount importance, but success in resolving the problem still lies with citizens' efforts to insist on refusing fakes.

We, as Hong Kong people, should not buy counterfeit goods and we should report to the police people who sell fakes.

The problem will not go away overnight. However, we cannot neglect it. The future of Hong Kong rests in our hands.

NG HOK TUNG

Tsing Yi

thoroughly check service

provider disclaimers

It was recently reported that a customer had filed a claim against Hutchison's 3 network for a full refund on the grounds of poor performance and services, the unduly short battery life of third-generation handsets and the limited network coverage.

While 3 is likely to invoke disclaimers in its service agreement to avoid liability, the court should vigilantly scrutinise these before upholding their validity.

The network operators owe a duty to the public to ensure the quality and maturity of their technology before they formally launch their services.

It would be contrary to consumers' interest if providers were simply allowed to defy their duties with contractual disclaimers, which are sometimes imposed on consumers unfairly.

If there is evidence that sales representatives or advertisements involve any 'misleading and deceptive' conduct, it may be appropriate for the Office of the Telecommunications Authority to intervene to protect consumers' interests.

Having said that, as customers are usually bound by contracts with service providers containing disclaimers of liability, it is advisable for them to be on the alert.

They should scrutinise the contract and make appropriate inquiries before signing up for services so that they are in an informed position to select and engage satisfactory service providers.

ELAINE YU

Central



All need to pull together to stamp out fakes