AmCham IP Committee meeting with Stephen Selby, Director, Hong Kong IP Department

Stephen Selby, the Director of the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department, spoke at the most recent meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce Intellectual Property Committee on November 16, 2010.  The IP committee often has speakers attend their meetings to discuss recent IP issues affecting Hong Kong and Asia. 

Stephen Selby gave an update on recent Hong Kong IP issues, namely proposed amendments to the Hong Kong Copyrights ordinance that will bring Hong Kong’s law more in line with U.S. and international standards.  There was also some heated discussion about whether Hong Kong needed its own Hong Kong originating patent, the main argument being that such an locally originating patent right helped turn Singapore and Taiwan into the R&D hubs that they are today.  Many people, myself included, believe that a more formalized patent profession is needed in Hong Kong to support innovation by local companies and the universities and research institutes that are here.