鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
Ihave3Rolexes,2PatekPhilippes,2Cartiersand1Panerai.Myeldersisterhas2Piagets,andmyyoungersisterhasanotherPatekPhilippe.MywifehasaHerm?andaChanel.MymotherhasaVacheronConstantin.Andmydriverhas2Omegas,3Cartiers,4Paneraisand2diamondRolexes.
Butallofthesewatchesarefakes.TheywereallboughteitherinHongKongorChina.IfIwantmoreofthem,IcansimplydrivetoTempleStreet(廟街)andgetasmanyfakesasIwant.InChina,Icanmostcertainly,inanyofthemajorcities,findthesefakeseasily.Allmyfriendsdoexactlythesame.AndImeanrichfriendsandpoorfriends.WheneveranyofmyforeignfriendscometoHongKong,theyallasktobuyfakes.
OfcourseeveryoneknowsaboutthefakessoldinTempleStreet.SowhydoestheGovernmentnotdoanythingaboutit?Fakesareinvariablyinfringementsofcopyright,andtheyalsogiverisetothelegalactionof"passingoff"-afakeobject"passingoff"asarealobject.
Whydoesn'ttheHongKongGovernmentsimplyraidmostofthestallsinTempleStreetandcleanuptheseblatantabusesofthelaw?Onlythisweek,thenewChairmanoftheAmericanChamberofCommercepredictedthedemiseofHongKongifnothingisdonetocombatpiracyincopyrights.
IamsuretheHongKongPolicecouldwithinanhourclearalltheillegalitieswithoutdifficulties.IftheyweresoefficientwithallthoseprotestorsattheheightoftheWTOConference,theycouldprobablyclearTempleStreetblindfolded.
ButIknowwhytheydonotdoit:ifTempleStreetweretoclosedowntomorrow,many,manysmallstallholdersandmanymoreothers,whoareinthebusinessofmakingandsellingfakes,willbecomeoutofwork.Thiscouldimmediatelygiverisetosocialunrest-somethingHongKongdoesn'twant.
Indeed,theanswerisexactlythesameforChina.Justmoresobecauseofthenumbersinvolved.EverydaywereadinthenewspapersthatafterChina'sentryintotheWTO,thecountryisexpectedtorespectproprietaryrights.YetpiracyinChinaisinabundance.Iwouldgomuchfurther:ithasbecomeawayoflifeinplaceslikeGuangdong.Besidesthefakewatches,therearefakeclothesandhandbags.ThousandsjustfromHongKongcrossthebordereachdaytobuyallthesefakes.It'sallawell-knownfact.Thereisnothingundergroundaboutitwhatsoever.
IdaresaythattheferociousChineseGovernmentcouldalsosimplysendintheirferociouspoliceforcetomorrowandferociouslycloseupallthefakefactoriesandpeddlers.Butagain,thatwouldcauseunimaginablesocialdisorder.PreciselythekindofdisorderthattheChineseGovernmentwouldhate.TiananmenSquarewasadirectresultofsocialdisorder.IfthewholebusinessofpiracyinChinaisworthbillionsandbillionsofdollars,ahugepopulationmustbedependentonit.Iftheauthoritiesweretoshutthatindustrydowntomorrow,therewouldbeabsolutechaos.IfwecannotdoitinHongKong,afortiori,notinChina.
Needlesstosay,occasionallyboththeHongKongandtheChineseGovernmentspaylip-servicetoourexpectedgoodbehaviour.Therewillbeoneortwohigh-profileraids.Fakewatcheswillbeputonthepavementandcrushedbysteamrollers.Onlylastmonth,therewasacaseevenintheChinesecourtinwhichjudgementwasgiventoabrandnamewishingtoprotectitselfagainstcopying.Butthoseofuswhoknowrealizethatthesearemerelyhollowgestures.Thiswholeindustryofinfringementisheretostay-rightlyorwrongly,andwhetheryoulikeitornot.Andtheauthoritiesarehelpless.
Meanwhile,Iamrelaxed.IcontinuetoenjoyourwonderfulTempleStreetwhichhasalltherightatmosphereandlendsadistinctivestyletothekindofHongKongthatIlike-enterprising,individualistic,ethnic,andslightlyillicit.IcantellyouthathalfofTempleStreetexudesmorestylethanthewholeofDisneyland.WemustkeepplaceslikeTempleStreet.IloveTempleStreet.ThereisanimportantmorallessontobelearnedbytheexistenceofplaceslikeTempleStreet.Itisastatementagainstglobalizationbyfatcats.Whyshouldonlytherichbeabletoprotectthemselveswhilstthepoorcannot?Iwouldsupportthepooranyday.VivaTempleStreet!