Home » News » intellectual property protection , Network and Internet Security » 78.6 percent of Hong Kong people won't pay for legal downloads
78.6 percent of Hong Kong people won't pay for legal downloads
0 comments
Linkedin
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Email
Print78.6 percent of Hong Kong people won't pay for legal downloads
By Computerworld Hong Kong staff | Feb 24, 2009
Thumbnail:
More than 78% of Net surfers in Hong Kong claimed they won't pay for legal downloading from authorized Web sites, though more than 96% of people feel intellectual property protection is necessary, said the government's Intellectual Property Department on Thursday.
Announcing findings of a survey, Stephen Selby, director of Intellectual Property said the study shows Hong Kong people are now more aware of the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.
The percentage of respondents who knew that intellectual property included copyright, patents, trademarks and registered designs grew from 84.7% in 2005 to 91.6% in 2008.
Besides, only 8.6% of respondents often or sometimes bought pirated or counterfeit goods, said Selby. The figure was less than the 15% in 2005, showing the situation has been gradually improving, he added.
"While it is encouraging to see that awareness of intellectual property among Hong Kong people is increasing and they are buying less pirated and counterfeit goods, we need to focus on new trends," Selby said.
Internet downloading
"The survey has provided us a better understanding of the situation of legal downloading of files from the Internet among the general public, especially the young generation, he added.
The survey findings indicate that more than 80% of respondents identified selling and buying pirated CD/DVD/VCDs or computer software, buying counterfeit goods, downloading files and uploading them to the Internet to share them are acts that infringe intellectual property rights.
However, only 40.7% of respondents considered buying a genuine CD and converting it to MP3 for personal use to be an infringing act - although doing so could result in civil liability.
About 80.3% of the respondents said it is morally wrong to download files from unauthorized Web sites. However, 78.6% of those who surfed the Internet claimed they won't pay for legal downloading from authorized websites. A total of 47% of respondents considered it inconvenient to buy online.
Response to no fakes scheme
Regarding public response to the government's No Fakes Pledge Scheme that promotes the purchase of legal versions of goods, 50.1% of respondents had heard of the scheme, and more than four-fifths considered it helpful in building confidence among consumers and tourists shopping in Hong Kong.
Nearly 77% of respondents received information about intellectual property protection through television, said Selby, adding the department will continue to put out publicity messages on TV and other media.
On the long-term development of intellectual property rights, 76% of respondents said intellectual property rights protection can help the development of local creative industries. More than 80% said the government should put more resources in protecting intellectual property rights in the long run.
Source:
