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SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Global IP treaty can help Hong Kong secure its creative edge

As the city exports more of its proprietary products and services, especially from its creative industries, IP protection is timely and necessary

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Panda dolls at the gift shop in Ocean Park on August 16, 2024. Photo: Jelly Tse
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.

The “one country, two systems” model has served Hong Kong and mainland China well for more than a quarter of a century. Under this governing formula, Hong Kong needs to seek endorsement from the central government in some areas. One ongoing effort relates to the intellectual property (IP) economy – which includes the creative industries – that plays a key role in the city’s growth and employment.

In an exclusive wide-ranging interview, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah revealed that Hong Kong is bolstering its IP protection by seeking to join the Madrid Protocol, a global IP regime that covers 131 countries. China is a member, but as a special administrative region, Hong Kong is not covered. Yau said the mainland’s approval is being sought to include the city within the remit of China as a member state. Hopefully, Beijing will give its approval and work quickly towards that goal.

As the city exports more of its proprietary products and services, especially from its creative industries, IP protection becomes even more important. According to government data in December 2023, “intellectual property-intensive industries” contributed 32.7 per cent of Hong Kong’s gross domestic product and 29.1 per cent of total employment between 2019 and 2021.

These numbers are rising. The recent success with merchandising associated with the giant pandas at Ocean Park and Labubu, the odd-looking but popular doll designed by a Hong Kong-born illustrator and owned by the Beijing-based company Pop Mart, underlines the importance of IP protection.
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