Hong Kong Ordinances

COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE - SECT 51

Copying by librarians or archivists: replacement copies of works

(1) The librarian or archivist of a specified library or archive may, if the
prescribed conditions are complied with, make a copy from any item in the
permanent collection of the library or archive-

   (a)  in order to preserve or replace that item by placing the copy in its
        permanent collection in addition to or in place of it; or

   (b)  in order to replace in the permanent collection of another specified
        library or archive an item which has been lost, destroyed or damaged,
        without infringing the copyright in any literary, dramatic or musical 
        work, in any illustrations accompanying such a work or, in the case of
        a published edition, in the typographical arrangement or, in the case
        of a sound recording or a film, in the sound recording or film.

(2) The prescribed conditions must include provision for restricting the
making of copies to cases where it is not reasonably practicable to purchase a
copy of the item in question to fulfill that purpose. [ cf. 1988 c. 48 s. 42
U.K.]