Around 200 business representatives and government officials from Guangdong and Hong Kong attended the "2018 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (Foshan)" in Foshan, Guangdong Province, today (June 21).

     The seminar, themed "IP Protection and Exploitation: Facilitating the Development of Innovation in the Bay Area", was targeted at Hong Kong SMEs and Mainland enterprises in Guangdong Province. It aimed to assist enterprises to develop effective IP protection and exploitation (including commercialisation) strategies so as to better capitalise on the opportunities offered by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, promote the development of innovation and enhance the international competitiveness of the enterprises.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, the Deputy Director of Intellectual Property, Ms Maria Ng, said that the seminar was one of the key co-operation items under the framework of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.

     Ms Ng said, "The theme of the seminar 'IP Protection and Exploitation: Facilitating the Development of Innovation in the Bay Area' dovetails with the current development needs. Through complementary co-operation and for the benefit of all parties, we could collaborate with Foshan and other cities in the city cluster of the Bay Area, with a view to assisting enterprises to grasp the unprecedented opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Bay Area."

     During the seminar, Ms Ng introduced the latest works of the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) in supporting SMEs to harness the business opportunities brought about by IP trading through effective IP protection and exploitation.

     The seminar was jointly organised by the IPD of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Guangdong Intellectual Property Office and the People's Government of Foshan Municipality; undertaken by the Intellectual Property Office of Foshan Municipality; and co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government. The event was also supported by other members of the Expert Group, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.

     Since 2004, Guangdong and Hong Kong have been working together to organise seminars regularly to promote the importance of IP protection and management among SMEs. Similar seminars were held in cities including Dongguan, Shaoguan, Shunde, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Zhanjiang, Zhuhai, Shantou, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Shanwei and Shenzhen. This is the second time the seminar has been held in Foshan by the Guangdong and Hong Kong authorities.

     Details of the seminar in Foshan are available on the IPD's website (www.ipd.gov.hk).
    

     The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong Training Course – End of Term Performance 2017/18, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be held on July 21. The programme will offer an opportunity for the Academy's young Cantonese opera performers to showcase their talent and achievements onstage.

     The performance will present excerpts from three operas, namely "First Encounter" from "The Story of the Purple Hairpin", "A Startling Change" and "Stealing the Magical Plant" from "The Legend of the White Snake", and "The Hunt War" from "Never-ending Love". The performances will feature current students of the Academy including Harumi Lau, Chan Shuk-lai, Mock Sum-yee, Chung Hei-man, Hon Tak-kwong, Yip Wing-yi, Vanessa Lung, Lam Kei-tung, Kwok Chun-hang, Wong Yeuk-ning, Houston Chan, Roy Cheung, Lui Chi-fung, Wong Cheuk-ki, Jackie Leung, Ho Wing-yan and Chan Sze-wa.
 
     The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong organises different training courses to train up performers, playwrights and instrument accompanists. Among the courses is a four-year programme in which young performers are trained in a progressive way by professional tutors and senior artists.

     The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong – End of Term Performance 2017/18 will be staged at 7.30pm on July 21 (Saturday) at the Auditorium of the Ko Shan Theatre New Wing. Tickets priced at $60 and $90 are available at www.urbtix.hk. For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.
     
     For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2591 1300 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/ab/en/CTOC1718.php.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited on fraudulent website and phishing email, which has been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
 
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the website should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (June 21) that the application numbers of the 1 500 personalised vehicle registration mark (PVRM) applications selected by lot for the 36th exercise have been published on its website (www.td.gov.hk) and posted on the notice boards of the department's licensing offices.
 
     "The applicants have already been sent an acknowledgement of receipt bearing an application number. They may check the list to see whether their applications have been selected. Applicants will also be notified of the ballot results by post in batches," a department spokesman said.
 
     The department will later check the proposed PVRMs selected against the basic combination requirements. If, among the selected applications, more than one applicant proposes the same PVRM, only the one on which the lot falls first out of those applications will be further processed.
 
     If the selected PVRMs meet the basic requirements, the department will send notices by registered mail to the applicants in batches, requiring them to pay a deposit of $5,000 within the period specified in the notice. If an applicant fails to pay the deposit within that period, his or her application will be cancelled automatically and will not be further processed.
 
     Upon receipt of the deposit, the Commissioner for Transport will determine, with the assistance of a vetting committee, whether an application should be approved or rejected. PVRMs approved in the 36th exercise will be put up for auction in batches. Auction details will be published in newspapers and on the department's website in due course.
 
     For enquiries, applicants can call TD Hotline at 2804 2600.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (June 21) that the application numbers of the 1 500 personalised vehicle registration mark (PVRM) applications selected by lot for the 36th exercise have been published on its website (www.td.gov.hk) and posted on the notice boards of the department's licensing offices.
 
     "The applicants have already been sent an acknowledgement of receipt bearing an application number. They may check the list to see whether their applications have been selected. Applicants will also be notified of the ballot results by post in batches," a department spokesman said.
 
     The department will later check the proposed PVRMs selected against the basic combination requirements. If, among the selected applications, more than one applicant proposes the same PVRM, only the one on which the lot falls first out of those applications will be further processed.
 
     If the selected PVRMs meet the basic requirements, the department will send notices by registered mail to the applicants in batches, requiring them to pay a deposit of $5,000 within the period specified in the notice. If an applicant fails to pay the deposit within that period, his or her application will be cancelled automatically and will not be further processed.
 
     Upon receipt of the deposit, the Commissioner for Transport will determine, with the assistance of a vetting committee, whether an application should be approved or rejected. PVRMs approved in the 36th exercise will be put up for auction in batches. Auction details will be published in newspapers and on the department's website in due course.
 
     For enquiries, applicants can call TD Hotline at 2804 2600.