Copyright protection laws vary from country to country; however, the common purpose of these anti-piracy laws is to protect valuable ideas and content-creating industries.

That effort benefits all people in creative industries - such as filmmaking - globally.

IFACT-GC investigators work closely with law enforcement authorities to ensure that copyright is protected in Hong Kong and throughout Greater China. IFACT-GC also works with the Motion Picture Association and other industry associations - for example, in the music, computer software and computer games industries - in an effort to stamp out piracy.

Government agencies, acting on information from IFACT-GC and members of the public, are continually identifying and raiding manufactures and distributors of pirated movies across Hong Kong.

Cinema employees also are becoming increasingly vigilant in looking out for people copying films in cinemas with camcorders. These offenders risk significant penalties, including equipment seizures and the laying of criminal charges by the C&E.

The Hong Kong government has recently identified intellectual property theft as a serious crime, with additional resources expected to be allocated to cracking down on piracy.

To report piracy email info@ifact-gc.org

The unauthorized distribution and manufacturing of films on DVD or other media is an infringement of Hong Kong's Copyright Ordinance.

Under the Copyright Ordinance, if in the course of business you have in your possession unauthorized copies of films or you offer to sell unauthorised copies of films, you are breaking the law and may be prosecuted.

Anyone who commits an offence under the Ordinance faces a fine of up to HK$50,000 for each infringing copy of a copyrighted work and possible imprisonment for up to four years.

For more information, see IPR-related laws