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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, at a media session on the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 after attending the Pre-event Press Conference of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong 2016 today (February 29):
Reporter: Mr So, what is your comment on the proposal from the pan-democrats this morning?
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development: I have just explained in Chinese that this proposal is, as I understand, nothing really new. The copyright owners have already indicated that they are not prepared to accept this proposal because this has been floated for discussion for a bit of time already. Copyright amendment is about balancing the right between the owners as well as the users. The balance has been achieved in this package embodied in the amendment bill that is now being deliberated in the Legislative Council. Any proposal that upsets this balance will actually create adverse result. And so therefore we urge all parties to try their best to deliberate and debate on the existing bill for its early passage.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, February 29, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:55
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