Hong Kong – Hong Kong Customs steps up enforcement action against provision of infringing karaoke songs by party rooms before Labour Day Golden Week period (with photos)

     ​Hong Kong Customs today (April 25) conducted an enforcement operation codenamed “Magpie” throughout the city to combat illegal activities involving party room operators providing infringing karaoke songs to customers in the course of business. A total of nine sets of karaoke players used for playing suspected infringing songs and a batch of televisions and audio and video equipment were seized. The total estimated market value is approximately $200,000.
      
     Through intelligence analysis and with the assistance of copyright owners, Customs earlier identified a number of party rooms suspected of possessing and providing infringing karaoke songs to customers in the course of business. Customs officers then took enforcement action today and raided nine party rooms in Kwun Tong, Mong Kok, Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan. The batch of suspected infringing items and relevant equipment were seized.
      
     During the operation, three men aged between 34 and 50 were arrested for being suspected of contravening the Copyright Ordinance. All of them are persons-in-charge of the party rooms. An investigation is ongoing and the three arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.
      
     With the Labour Day Golden Week period approaching, Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat different kinds of infringing activities before and during the holidays in order to safeguard the rights of copyright owners.
      
     Under the Copyright Ordinance, any person, who without the licence of the copyright owner of a copyright work, possesses infringing copies of a copyright work for the purpose of or in the course of any trade or business with a view to it being used by any person commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and imprisonment for four years.
      
     The Copyright (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 (the Amendment Ordinance) will come into operation on May 1 this year. The newly-introduced “communication right” and the related offences could ensure the protection of copyright works that communicated to the public by any mode of electronic transmission (including streaming). Any persons who disseminate copyright works to the public without authorisation may violate the Amendment Ordinance. Customs reminds business operators to comply with the Copyright Ordinance and to make enquiries to copyright owners on matters relating to the use of musical visual recordings in the course of business.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).