Copyright owners want shops that hire out publications to pay compensation
The comic book industry yesterday pleaded for the right to seek compensation from comic book rental shops, saying they are losing $250 million a year to these unauthorised businesses.
The Hong Kong Comics Federation urged the government to extend copyright protection - and the right to rent out comics - to comic book publishers.
It argued that these rights should not be limited to computer programs, sound recordings and films, as suggested by the government's copyright ordinance consultation paper.
'We don't understand why we copyright owners cannot ask for compensation from unauthorised rental shops,' said Tony Wong Yuk-long, chairman of the federation.
'The [consultation] paper suggested extending rental rights to films, but why should other copyrighted works get better protection [than comics]? We want to point out that the comics industry is just as significant as the film industry.'
The industry said the annual loss caused by unauthorised rental was as high as $250 million.
