IPD Uses Music Festival to Boost IP
29 November 2012
Hong Kong Intellectual Property Director Peter Cheung launched a day of live band performances by urging participants to help promote intellectual property protection in the Chinese Special Administrative Region.
The I Pledge Live Band Festival, held October 13, 2012, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, is part of the Intellectual Property Deparment’s (IPD) “I Pledge” campaign, which was launched in 1999 and encourages people to commit to not buying pirated or counterfeit goods. More than 10,000 Hong Kong residents have signed the pledge.
“We are very pleased to gather a group of music lovers to exchange skills and aspirations for encouraging the development of original music, and hence forming a joint venture to promote IP protection,” Cheung, said in a speech during the festival. “We hope the bands can share their original music to all the people in the world.”
An IPD spokesperson told Asia IP that, as music is an international language, “we have seen a number of bands gaining their popularity and reputation by participating in the ‘I Pledge’ Live Band Festival. Some of them have attracted music companies to produce music records for them.”
Though the event was billed as a festival, it was actually a contest, as the top three bands, D-crew, 神奇膠 and Pendular, were presented with awards. The awards were based on the numbers of YouTube views and votes, as the bands were required to upload their music videos onto the YouTube event page (www.youtube.com/user/ipdgovhk) prior to the festival.
While the new bands were busy impressing the crowds with new tunes, well-known local bands such as Taichi, Eddie King & Friends, Dear Jane, Supper Moment, A Day, RedNoon, and N’Gine rocked the crowds with more familiar tunes. The mixing of music and generations made this festival a must-see rock and roll show, and reminded the audience that IP in general, and original music in particular, deserves appreciation and protection.
“The festival has received positive response, we hope to organize it again next year,” the IPD spokesperson told Asia IP.
The festival was jointly organized by the Hong Kong Government’s Intellectual Property Department (IPD), YouTube, the Chinese YMCA, and Wholala, a non-profit organization that gives young musicians the chance to promote their music.
