Periscope
Video-sharing: copyright violations unchecked
Local laws fail to stop copyright infringement on video-sharing websites, Ruby Wu reports
Copyright infringements on video-sharing websites based in foreign countries may go unpunished as copyright owners and the government can hardly use local laws to bring any breaches to court.
Suing local citizens who upload problematic videos on those overseas websites is also difficult because that will involve complicated international cooperation.
"Hong Kong's Copyright Ordinance only applies to websites and web users within the territory・s boundary. When dealing with copyright infringement of overseas websites and web users, (we) need to sue (them) according to their countries・ laws,； said lawmaker Sin Chung-kai, who represents the information technology sector.
The problem of copyright violation is widespread amid growing popularity of video-sharing sites, with many web videos being uploaded without authorisation of the copyright holders.
In September, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) sent a notification to YouTube, claiming copyright over its popular entertainment show Beauty Kitchen. After the complaint of the local free television station, the world・s leading video-sharing website removed related video clips posted on its site.
However, the infringement problem still persists. Breaches are serious especially of the copyrights on overseas drama and cartoon series held by local television stations. For example, full episodes of One Litre of Tears, a Japanese TV drama being broadcast on TVB・s Jade channel, can be found on YouTube.
：Although copyright owners can identify web users through internet service providers and law enforcing bodies in the government and sue (the web users), there is a real difficulty in presenting evidence and filing a suit,； Mr Sin said.
Legal prosecution would be even more difficult when copyright infringing web users were not local citizens but those coming from all around the world, he said.
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