Public Support Copyright Law Reform: Govt

The government says its plan to reform Hong Kong’s copyright law has received widespread support from the public.

Commerce Secretary Edward Yau told a virtual Legco meeting on Tuesday that most people who gave views in a three-month consultation that ended in February agreed there is an imminent need to update the copyright regime to keep up with technological development.

Authorities received 62 written submissions during the exercise, compared with more than a thousand received when the public was consulted over a similar bill tabled in 2014.

That bill was shelved in 2016 amid filibustering in the legislature and opposition from some concern groups.

“It's hard to compare the numbers, because I remember last time, we received many letters with the same format and similar content. Last time, the bill was dragged down by filibustering in Legco, and the government doesn't want to see this,” Yau said.

“Now that order has resumed in Legco, we hope we can achieve this practically… We may have received few submissions this time, but our colleagues have discussed the proposal with different sectors.”

Official now plan to introduce the new bill to Legco by the middle of the year.

They also stressed that parody, satire, caricatures and commentary on current affairs are among contents that will be exempted, and it’s better not to define these categories in the law to allow flexibility.

Lawmakers at the meeting support the legislation, but several hoped the government would also write new laws to govern illicit streaming via devices like TV boxes and mobile apps.

However, Intellectual Property Director David Wong said both existing law and the proposed legislation are adequate in tackling the problem.

“These devices may be used for good or bad purposes. Different jurisdictions have different ways to draw the line and regulate such devices… So far, only Singapore and Malaysia have specific laws to handle the matter,” he said.