Customs arrests five over suspected pirated karaoke systems
AM730 · 4 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it arrested five suspected offenders after a weeks-long crackdown on party rooms allegedly providing infringing karaoke songs. Officers seized 21 karaoke playback devices preloaded with suspected infringing tracks, one game console carrying suspected pirated electronic games, and a batch of televisions and audio-visual equipment with a total estimated value of about HK$600,000.
Key Points
- The special enforcement operation, code-named “Magpie”, ran from July 28 to September 3 and focused on illegal activities involving infringing karaoke songs.
- Customs searched 21 party rooms in multiple districts and found 21 suspected infringing karaoke playback systems, along with one game console and related equipment.
- Those arrested were three men and two women aged 28 to 44, including venue operators and staff, on suspicion of breaching the Copyright Ordinance.
- Senior Investigation Officer Lam Yi-tai of the Customs and Excise Department’s copyright and trademark investigation branch said the devices carried more than 10,000 local Cantopop songs.
- Customs said many operators used self-service business models, posted prices on social platforms, and disclosed addresses and door codes only after payment on the event day.
Why It Matters
The case points to enforcement challenges as some party rooms move to remote, self-service operations that reduce on-site staffing but do not remove copyright liability. The five suspects have been released on bail pending further investigation, and Customs said more arrests are not being ruled out.