Intellectual property laws are complex because there are many rules and involve legal documents. This guide is intended to provide a brief introduction and answer frequently asked questions. It does not seek to be exhaustive and definitely cannot be taken as legal advice. If you need legal support, we recommend that you contact colleagues at the HKBU Knowledge Transfer Office as they work with solicitors and legal advisors on a daily basis and can offer you in-depth consultations and professional advice.
The following provides a list of organizations, resources and HKBU policies and guidelines that may help you understand more about intellectual property issues in your teaching, learning and research.
Intellectual Property Organizations in Hong Kong
Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong | CASH
Copyright society for the administration and enforcement collectively the rights of composers and authors of musical works subsisting under the copyright law of Hong Kong.
Creative Commons | Creative Commons Hong Kong | CC CCHK
Global nonprofit organization that enables sharing and reuse of creativity and knowledge through the use of free legal tools to encourage reuse of works. CC has affiliates all over the world including Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Copyright Licensing Association | HKCLA
Offers licensing scheme for photocopying of newspapers for internal reference, instruction and news monitoring purposes.
Hong Kong Recording Industry Alliance | HKRIA
Not-for-profit copyright management organization that handles copyright issues for recording companies on the broadcast, public performance and relevant usage of sound recordings and music videos in Hong Kong, Macau and other territories.
Intellectual Property Department | IPD
Your first stop to finding any information about Intellectual Property laws in Hong Kong.
Phonographic Performance (South East Asia) | PPSEAL
Authorized by members of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (Hong Kong Group) Limited (IFPIHKG) to grant licenses for the public performance and broadcasting of their musical sound recordings, music videos and/or karaoke videos owned by or licensed to them.
HKBU Policies & Guidelines
The following list groups together all University documents concerning intellectual property. The units responsible for each are listed at the end. You may want to contact them in case of enquiries.
Administrative Guidelines for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights | Knowledge Transfer Office
Copyright and Library Materials | Library
Fair Dealing | Library
Guidelines for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights | Office of Student Affairs
Procedure for Course Pack Production | Library
University Open Access Policy | Research Office
Appropriate Use of E-Resources | Library
Warning to Users of Copying Devices | Library
Other Resources
Lastly, it helps to remember that as the Intellectual Property Department tells us, IP laws are designed to "strike a balance between rights and responsibilities". Instead of asking yourself "do I have the right to do this?", it is better to consider "would it be fair for someone to do this to me?".