On 1st April, 2001, the Intellectual Property (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2000 came into force in Hong Kong. The new law states that the use of an infringing copy of a computer software program in any type of business will constitute a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for up to 4 years and a fine of up to HK$50,000 (£4,450) for each infringing copy of software.
The BSA told South China Morning Post that it is considering evidence and information on use of pirate software in around 100 companies, both small and large, and will then decide which cases to forward to Customs with a recommendation for prosecution.
The BSA describes the problem of business software piracy in Hong Kong as overwhelming and says it is “the single largest barrier to the development of the software industry in Hong Kong.”