LCQ14: Promoting commercialisation of local cultural and creative intellectual properties
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Question:
It is learnt that local cultural and creative intellectual properties (IP) have demonstrated considerable commercial potential in international markets in recent years. However, there are views that support for promoting the commercialisation of local IPs in Hong Kong remains inadequate, and that there is a lack of effective collaboration between creative industries and professional services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Government will consider setting up a unified register and brand certification system for local cultural and creative IPs to facilitate the matching of commercial organisations with suitable local partners for collaboration, with a view to promoting the extension of application scenarios and cross-sector synergy;
(2) as there are views relaying that the application procedures for existing government funding schemes are cumbersome and place undue emphasis on applicants' track records, thereby disadvantaging resource-limited start-up teams, whether the Government will review and streamline the relevant application processes and introduce a dedicated funding scheme for start-ups to facilitate the launch and development of promising original designs;
(3) whether, with a view to strengthening the commercial operation capabilities of local IP teams, raising their awareness of legal protection, and easing their financing difficulties, the Government will consider setting up a matching platform to provide creators with professional support in such areas as business development planning, legal consultation and access to finance;
(4) given that the 2026-2027 Budget proposes that the Intellectual Property Department, together with the Vocational Training Council, will roll out a two-year pilot programme and establish the Intellectual Property Academy, whether the Academy's curriculum will include content related to the commercialisation process of cultural and creative IPs, such as brand licensing, cross-boundary protection of IP rights and addressing copyright issues arising from AI (artificial intelligence); and
(5) what specific policy measures (such as tax and legislative measures) the Government will adopt to further support the overall development of the local IP commercialisation ecosystem and enhance Hong Kong's competitive edge as a regional IP trading centre?
Reply:
President,
Government bureaux and departments constantly formulate and introduce support measures to promote the commercialisation of local intellectual property (IP) and to enhance the capability of different industries (including cultural and creative as well as innovation and technology) in utilising IP.
In consultation with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Dr Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows:
(1) The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau has been promoting the development of and cross-sectoral cultural and creative collaboration in the eight creative sectors (namely, film, advertising, architecture, design, digital entertainment, music, printing and publishing, and television) through the CreateSmart Initiative (CSI) and the Film Development Fund (FDF). CCIDA has funded the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to enhance the Asia IP Exchange Portal (the Portal) since 2023. The enhanced Portal commenced operation on March 31, 2026, with a newly-added database for arts, cultural and creative IPs that contains and features a comprehensive collection of over 10 000 IP listings. More market trading information and professional support services have been added in the Portal to facilitate potential buyers in searching for relevant IP information, with a view to promoting IP transactions and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration.
Besides, in order to assist the creative sectors in connecting with private companies and exploring business opportunities, funding has been provided for an industry organisation since 2018 to implement seven editions of the Design Licensing and Business (DLAB) Support Scheme by setting up a Hong Kong Pavilion at the Hong Kong International Licensing Show organised by the HKTDC, and organising study missions to the Greater Bay Area to promote Hong Kong original IPs. Through the DLAB Support Scheme, CCIDA has so far funded over 300 local creative enterprises to participate in the Licensing Show and the study missions, generating more than 5 000 business contacts and matchings. Many participating enterprises have been invited to collaborate with well-known brands and shopping malls in Chinese Mainland and overseas, reflecting the international appeal and market competitiveness of Hong Kong design.
Since the restructuring of Create Hong Kong into CCIDA in June 2024, CCIDA proactively propels projects under the industry-oriented principle, and in particular, strengthens its support for cultural IP projects to explore markets and commercialisation opportunities, with a view to attracting private investment and incubating high-quality local cultural IPs in the long run. CCIDA also facilitates registration of cultural and creative products derived under the FDF and the CSI on the Portal, thereby further enriching the IP database, and promoting transactions and commercial transformation of cultural IPs.
(2) The Government spares no effort in nurturing young talents and facilitating the development of start-ups. In respect of creative sectors, CCIDA provides funding to industry organisations through the CSI and the FDF to launch programmes that are dedicated to or helpful for nurturing and supporting young talents and start-ups (such as the First Feature Film Initiative, Design Incubation Programme, Nurturing Programme of Hong Kong Young Design Talents, Hong Kong Comics Support Programme, and AI-assisted Animation Production Pilot Scheme). By end-December 2025, the 120 films supported by the FDF have engaged more than 120 emerging directors and producers, while the CSI offered more than 97 400 nurturing opportunities for the 7 non-film creative sectors.
Young talents and start-ups may participate in various nurturing programmes sponsored by CCIDA to creative sectors to facilitate their development. CCIDA will continue to proactively maintain communication with the creative sectors so as to formulate more targeted support measures to cater for the development needs of young talents and start-ups.
(3) to (5) To support and enhance the capability of different industries (including cultural and creative as well as innovation and technology) in utilising IP, the Government has continuously adopted a multi-pronged strategy which includes (a) enhancement of the IP legal regime; (b) financing support; (c) tax measures; (d) capacity building and talent training; and (e) external promotion. Details of the measures are as follows:
(a) Enhancing the IP legal regime
A robust IP legal regime provides a solid legal foundation for the creation, protection and commercial exploitation of IPs. The Government has been reviewing the registered designs regime. Following a three-month public consultation in December 2025, the Government is carefully analysing the views collected with a view to formulating specific proposals for updating the local registered designs regime. In addition, the Government is formulating a code of practice in respect of copyright issues and the application of legal principles relating to the development of generative AI (artificial intelligence) technology for reference by the trade.
(b) Financing support
The Government collaborated with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to launch an IP financing sandbox in December 2025 to enable banks, enterprises and professional services organisations to, on a trial basis, leverage IPs for financing in a risk-controlled environment. The Government will also launch the Pilot Patent Valuation Support Scheme through the Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Support Centre (HKTISC) (Note) in the third quarter of this year to support eligible local small and medium enterprises to conduct valuation of their patents and other IP assets, as well as qualitative patent evaluation, to explore opportunities for financing and other commercial transactions.
(c) Tax measures
To encourage enterprises to conduct research and development, and commercialise IPs, the Government has implemented, since July 2024, a "patent box" tax incentive, under which qualifying profits derived from eligible IP are taxed at a concessionary rate of 5 per cent.
The Government is also finalising legislative proposals to suitably broaden the scope of relevant profits tax deductions for capital expenditure incurred by enterprises for purchasing IP or the rights to use IP, and plans to introduce an amendment bill within 2026.
(d) Capacity building and talent training
The IPD, together with the Vocational Training Council, will roll out a two-year pilot programme to establish the Intellectual Property Academy, which is expected to be incepted at the end of this year. The programmes will cover areas such as creation, protection, management, transformation, licensing, commercialisation of IP, as well as dispute resolution, and will include the major fields of IP such as patents, trade marks, copyright and designs. This will help participants acquire knowledge covering the full IP chain in the course of their business operations, enabling them to formulate and implement business strategies effectively. Suitable programmes will be linked to the corresponding levels under the Qualifications Framework. In the course of formulating the programmes, we will widely gather feedback from different industry sectors.
(e) External promotion
The Government will continue to work closely with the HKTDC and stakeholders to promote Hong Kong's IP professional services to the Chinese Mainland and overseas enterprises, as well as to assist enterprises and professional service providers in tapping the Chinese Mainland and overseas markets. This will be done through trade missions, seminars, publicity programmes, business-matching activities, and the Business of IP Asia Forum, etc., with a view to facilitating the licensing, trading and commercialisation of IPs.
Note: The HKTISC commenced full operations in December 2025, focusing on providing high-quality IP (particularly patents) information and services to local start-ups, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs.
Ends/Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:45
Issued at HKT 14:45
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