Strengthen the Intellectual Property Regime
64. Intellectual property (IP) protection is in line with the direction of developing Hong Kong into a knowledge‑based economy and an international I&T hub. The Government will strengthen the IP regime in Hong Kong. With regard to patents, we will further promote and develop Hong Kong's "original grant patent" (OGP) system. In the next three financial years, I will allocate a total of about $85 million to the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) for enhancing Hong Kong's capacity to conduct substantive examination in processing OGP applications. On trademarks, we are pressing ahead with the preparatory work for implementing the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks in Hong Kong. It is expected that an international trademark registration system will be put in place in Hong Kong next year at the earliest. As for copyrights, to tie in with the development of digital environment, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau launched a public consultation exercise on updating Hong Kong's copyright regime at the end of last year. The consultation period ends today. The Government will carefully consider the views collected before introducing a bill to amend the Copyright Ordinance into the LegCo in the first half of this year.
65. The IPD will also actively explore with the Mainland authorities facilitation measures for cross‑boundary IP protection; enhance its free IP Consultation Service, IP Manager Scheme PLUS and other training programmes; and collaborate with the Department of Justice to promote IP mediation and arbitration services. Besides, we will work with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) and relevant stakeholders to promote Hong Kong's IP professional services through different channels.
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