*********************************************************

A working group chaired by the Director of Intellectual Property, consisting of representatives from the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau, Education Department and members representing local and international publishers, local newspapers as well as users in schools and universities, has developed "Guidelines for Photocopying of Printed Works by Not-for-profit Educational Establishments" (Guidelines).

Under the Copyright Ordinance, teachers are allowed to do some things with copyright works notwithstanding the subsistence of copyright. These include certain acts related to copying for instruction purposes.

Teachers have expressed the view that the law does not give them clear guidance on when and how much they can photocopy and distribute copyright works (e.g. books) for classroom use.

To address their concern, the Government took the initiative to convene a working group consisting of copyright owners from the publishing industry and local newspapers as well as copyright users from the educational sector to work out a set of non-statutory guidelines for photocopying of printed works.

The Director of Intellectual Property, Mr Stephen Selby said today (September 30), "These Guidelines provide guidance as to how much photocopying of printed works can be done by not-for-profit educational establishments. It strikes a balance between the protection of copyright and teachers' practical need to make multiple copies for teaching purposes."

Mr Chui Fong Ching, Chairman of Hong Kong Educational Publishers Association, one of the organisations endorsing the Guidelines, said, "these guidelines will give a clear indication to those working in not-for-profit educational establishments as to what they are allowed to do and what not."

Chairman of another endorsing organisation, the Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council, Mr Stephen Hui Chin-yim, also said, " these Guidelines will facilitate teachers in making multiple copies of a work for instruction purposes."

The Guidelines are posted on the websites of the Intellectual Property Department (www.info.gov.hk/ipd) and the Curriculum Development Institute of Education Department (http://cd.ed.gov.hk). The notes of meetings of the working group are also posted on the website of the Intellectual Property Department.

End/Monday, September 30, 2002

NNNN