Speech by Mr. Francis Ho, Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, at The HK Digital Content Alliance Inauguration Ceremony
25 - 09 - 2006

We have a vision for Hong Kong - it should be a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy, and it should be a leading digital city of the world. The creative industries are at the centre stage of this vision. Intellectual property and digital content is thus the key to enable us to realize this vision. The promotion of IP and protection of digital content are therefore of paramount importance for us. This is an area that one will never say that we have already done enough and achieved enough. Indeed we need a sustainable effort with wide community involvement in order to build consensus, nurture individual and community responsibility and respect for IP, and effectively enforce the law.

I am very pleased to see the launch of the HKDCA this afternoon. I applaud HKDCA's objective to promote public awareness of the importance of copyright for digital content download; to educate the next generation to respect copyright; and to provide a platform for IT solution providers and content providers to discuss and develop new win-win technology and business model that benefit not just these sectors but also society as a whole. In the latter context, we often talk about quality of life, quality of human capital and so on, but in my view any measure of the quality of the society that we live in must be related, among many things, to the population's understanding and respect for intellectual property if we harbor any aspiration and ambition to become a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Co. Ltd and the Internet Professional Association, iProA, for their initiative to be the conveners of the HKDCA, and the nine founding associations for their commitment and leadership to make HKDCA a reality. I am also glad to see that this initiative is facilitated and supported by OGCIO and IPD. I am sure that with this support from the stakeholders and the continued efforts of the government in public policy support, public education and law enforcement, we will be able to strengthen the cause for IP protection and promotion in Hong Kong, and, in this process, enhance our societal quality and endowment in our pursuit of putting Hong Kong to the next new height as a modern knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.

I take this opportunity to wish HKDCA every success in its future endeavors.

- END -