There will be a voluntary registration system for collective copyright administration societies to encourage public availability of royalty rates and similar data.

A Copyright Tribunal comprising members from different sectors of the community is to handle copyright licensing disputes to ensure a balancing of interests. Its terms of reference include:

Power for the Tribunal to deal with disputes involving proposed licensing schemes.

Statutory provisions setting out factors to be taken into account by the Tribunal when handling copyright licensing disputes, including an implied statutory indemnity coupled with statutory limited damages.

Power for the Tribunal to award interim payment of royalties by copyright users to licensing bodies, while restricting licensing bodies from applying for interlocutory injunctions.

Power of the Tribunal to award costs to prevent frivolous/vexatious applications.

Further information on the above may be obtained via Linklaters & Paines Hong Kong office or via any of the other nine Linklaters & Paines offices world-wide, located in Singapore, Tokyo, London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Washington D.C. and Moscow. Contact details for the various L&P offices worldwide are available via the Linklaters & Paines corporate listing c/o Business Monitor Online - http://www.businessmonitor.co.uk

c Linklaters & Paines 1997 - Tel +852 2842 4888