| Divisions - Newspapers Registration Section
Functions
The Newspapers Registration Section is responsible
for:
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(a) |
The registration of local
newspapers, news agencies and licensing of newspaper
distributors under the Registration of Local Newspapers
Ordinance, Cap. 268. |
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(b) |
The enforcement of the
Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance,
Cap. 390. |
| (a) |
Registration
of Local Newspapers Ordinance, Cap. 268
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Publications
containing news, information and commentaries published
at intervals not exceeding six months need to be registered
under the Registration of Local Newspapers Ordinance.
Certain publications are, however, exempted from registration.
These include academic journals, almanacs, cartoons
and comic strips, collection of photographic images,
commercial advertisements and circulars, etc (please
refer to the Schedule of Registration of Local Newspapers
Ordinance for details). |
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| (b) |
Control
of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance, Cap. 390
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The Control of Obscene and
Indecent Articles Ordinance (COIAO) deals with the publication
and display of obscene and indecent articles. Its spirit
is to protect the well-being of young people by preventing
their access to indecent materials while still allowing
adults the freedom to information. |
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The COIAO also establishes
a judicial body, the Obscene Articles Tribunal (OAT),
to adjudicate on the offensiveness of articles submitted
to it by publishers on a voluntary basis and by law
enforcement agencies, or referred to it by magistracies
in the course of a trial. |
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Under the COIAO, articles
are classified into three classes. An article is Class
I if it is neither obscene nor indecent; Class II if
it is indecent; and Class III if it is obscene. The
meanings of "obscenity" and "indecency" under the law
include violence, depravity and repulsiveness. Indecent
articles cannot be published to persons under the age
of 18 and must carry a statutory warning notice. Obscene
articles are banned. |
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The role of TELA is to monitor
the articles available on the market, submit them to
the OAT for classification and refer them to the Police
for investigation and prosecution where necessary. Visits
to retail outlets are conducted to check the selling/renting
of obscene and indecent articles. These outlets include
bookshops, newspaper stalls, video shops and computer
shops. The Customs and the Police are also the designated
enforcement agencies under the COIAO. |
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TELA runs a 24-hour complaint
hotline : 2676 7676 , e-mail
address : nrs@tela.gov.hk.
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