Industrially applied designs are to enjoy full copyright protection, irrespective of whether they are functional or registrable. However, the protection only lasts for 25 years where the design has been registered in Hong Kong, and 15 years where it has not (irrespective of whether the design is inherently registrable). These arrangements may change if the government subsequently introduces sui generis legislation for unregistered designs.

Further information on the above may be obtained via Linklaters & Paines Hong Kong office or via any of the other nine Linklaters & Paines offices world-wide, located in Singapore, Tokyo, London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Washington D.C. and Moscow. Contact details for the various L&P offices worldwide are available via the Linklaters & Paines corporate listing c/o Business Monitor Online - http://www.businessmonitor.co.uk

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