Additional provisions imposing civil and criminal liabilities on people who deal in circumvention devices or provide a circumvention service for commercial purpose have come into effect, the Intellectual Property Department says.

The move aims to boost the protection of technological measures that protect copyright works. Any person who participates in any of the following activities may be subject to civil and criminal liabilities:

* making circumvention devices for sale or hire;

* importing or exporting circumvention devices for sale or hire;

* dealing in circumvention devices including selling, letting, exhibiting in public or distributing in the course of trade or business; and

* providing a commercial circumvention service which enables customers to circumvent technological measures used to protect copyright works.

A person convicted of these offences could be liable to a $500,000 fine and up to four year's jail. They may also be subject to civil claims from copyright owners.

Other provisions which have also come into operation today are new rental rights for films and underlying works in sound recordings and new moral and rental rights for performers. For details, click here.