THE authorities should pay more attention to the confidentiality of computer data, according to Hong Kong Computer Society computer and law working group chairman Matthew Lee.
He said that only certain aspects of intellectual property law were being regulated by legislation, such as copyrights, patents and trademarks.
There had never been a statute to regulate on confidential information, Mr Lee was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong Industrialist, a monthly publication of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.
Mr Lee, who works in the City Polytechnic's department of information systems, said confidential information was being treated under common law, which was constantly evolving.
He said a more coherent approach should be taken by the authorities towards intellectual property.
Although the Computer Crimes Ordinance, enacted last April, was intended to ease concern about technology abuse, there was no specific law protecting information stored in computers, Mr Lee said.
The ordinance was only introduced after a lengthy debate about what constituted computer theft.