NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION REGULATIONS

NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION REGULATIONS

NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION
REGULATIONS

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS
Regulation.................................
Page
1. Citation ............................R 2
2. Registration of newspapers ..........B 2
3. Particulars to be furnished to Registrar B 2
4. Particulars to be certified by proprietor, etc . B 2

5. Substituted particulars to be furnished and certified when any change occurs

or any inaccuracy is discovered .....B 2
6. Change of identity of editor ........B 3
7. How a certificate is to be given in the case of a company or firm B 3
8. Printing and publication prohibited unless regulations are complied with B 3
9. Newspaper register ..................B 3
10............Fees for search inspection and extract from newspaper B 3
11............................Copies of particulars B 3
12...........................Registration fees, etc . B 4
13..........................Distributor to be licensed B 4
14.......................Distribution of newspapers only B 4

15. Copies of newspapers printed or produced outside Hong Kong to be supplied

to Registrar ........................B 4
16..................................[Repealed] B 4
17..................................Exemption B 4
18.........Bulletins to registered newspaper deemed not to be newspaper B 5
19,...........................Ofrences and penalties B 5

Schedule...................................Forms ..................................................................................
...........................................B 5





NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION
REGULATIONS

(Cap. 268, section 18)

[1 July 1951]

15 of 1951, Second Schedule, Part I - G.N.A. 27154,57 of 1955, L.N. 2178, L.N. 95188

Citation

1. These regulations may be cited as the Newspapers Registration and
Distribution Regulations.

Registration of newspapers

2. Every local newspaper shall be registered in accordance with these
regulations.

Particulars to be furnished to Registrar

3. In order to effect registration one of the persons specified in regulation 4
shall furnish to the Registrar the particulars specified in Form 1 in the Schedule and
such other particulars of the proprietor, printer, publisher or editor of the local
newspaper as the Registrar shall in his absolute discretion require, and shall certify
the correctness of such particulars and of his own description.

(L.N. 95188)

Particulars to be certified by proprietor, etc.

4. The particulars specified shall be furnished and certified by the proprietor,
printer, publisher or editor of the local newspaper.

(L.N. 95188)

Substituted particulars to be furnished and
certified when any change occurs or any
inaccuracy is discovered

5. If any change occurs or if any inaccuracy is discovered, in any of the
specified particulars, the persons specified in regulation 4 shall, within 7 days,
furnish to the Registrar substituted particulars in Form 3 in the Schedule noting any
change in the particulars furnished under regulation 3 and shall certify the
correctness of such substituted particulars and of their own descriptions: (L.N.
95188)

Provided that if one of such persons complies with the requirements of this
regulation the obligations imposed by this regulation on any other persons shall be
deemed to have been discharged as regards the substituted particulars so
furnished.





Change of identity of editor

6. A change shall be deemed to have occurred in the identity of the editor if the
editor is absent from Hong Kong or if he ceases substantially to exercise the
functions of an editor.

(L.N. 95188)

How a certificate is to he given in
the case of a company or firm

7. If the particulars are furnished by a company the certificate shall be given by
a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, and if the particulars
are furnished by a firm the certificate shall be given by a partner of the firm.

Printing and publication prohibited unless
regulations are complied with

8. No person shall print or publish or act as editor of, or continue to print or
publish or act as editor of, any local newspaper unless all the requirements of these
regulations with respect to such local newspaper have been complied with:

Provided that it shall not be a breach of this regulation to fail to register as a
separate local newspaper a news sheet or sheets which constitutes or constitute in
the opinion of the Registrar a later edition or editions of a local newspaper registered
under these regulations.

(L.N. 95188)

Newspaper register

9. The particulars furnished in accordance with the provisions of these
regulations shall be kept by the Registrar as a register of local newspapers.

(L.N. 95188)

Fees for search inspection and extract from newspaper

10. Any person on may search and inspect any register of local newspapers on
payment of $15 for every such search and inspection, and any person may require
an extract from any such register to be certified by the Registrar on payment of $65
for every such extract.

(L.N. 95188)

Copies of particulars

11. The Registrar shall-

(a)upon the registration of a local newspaper following the furnishing under
regulation 3 of particulars specified in Form 1 in the Schedule; and

(b)upon the furnishing under regulation 5 of substituted particulars specified
in Form 3 in the Schedule,

send by post a copy of Form 1 or Form 3, as the case may be, to each person named
therein.

(L.N. 95188)





Registration fees, etc.
12. (1) A fee of $450 shall be payable on registration under regulation 2.
(2) An annual fee of $450 shall be payable for every year other than the
first during which such registration remains in force and shall become due on
the anniversary of the day upon which the registration was effected.
(3) A fee of $45 shall be payable on every occasion upon which
substituted particulars are furnished under regulation 5.
(L.N. 95188)

Distributor to be licensed
13. (1) Subject to paragraph (3), no newspaper shall be distributed for
sale except by a newspaper distributor licensed by the Registrar.
(2) A licence shall be in Form 2 in the Schedule and a fee of $450 per
annum or part thereof shall be payable for such licence for the period ending 31
December of any year.
(3) No licence shall, by reason of this regulation, be required for the sale
by retail of any newspaper to any member of the public.
(L.N. 95188)

Distribution of newspapers only
14. No document (other than a document forming an integral part of a
newspaper) shall be distributed in or with any newspaper without the consent of
the Registrar.
(L.N. 95188)

Copies of newspapers printed or produced outside
Hong Kong to he supplied to Registrar
15. (1) A newspaper distributor licensed under regulation 13 shall supply
to the Registrar on the day of distribution or on the day next following (other
than a holiday) a copy of every newspaper printed or produced outside Hong
Kong and distributed by him and of every second or other varied edition or
impression of that newspaper so distributed.
(2) The copy of every newspaper supplied to the Registrar under
paragraph (1) shall bear the signature, full name and address of the newspaper
distributor.
(3) The Registrar shall keep in his possession the copy of every newspaper
supplied to him under paragraph (1) for a period of not less than 6 months after
which time he may destroy or otherwise dispose of that copy.
(L.N. 95188)

16. [Repealed, L.N. 951881

Exemption
17. (1) The Registrar may exempt any local newspaper from all or any of
the provisions of these regulations.





(2) Any person seeking exemption of a local newspaper under paragraph (1)
who is aggrieved by a decision of the Registrar under that paragraph may appeal by
way of petition to the Governor who

(a)may regard such petition as being complete for the purposes of
considering the appeal; and

(b)may confirm, vary or reverse such decision or substitute therefor such
other decision or make such other order as he may think fit.

(3) The right of appeal provided by paragraph (2) shall not be exercisable by
any person after the expiration of 7 days from the notification to him in writing of
the Registrar's decision.

(L.N. 95188)

Bulletins to registered
newspaper deemed not to he
newspaper

18. Bulletins issued by a news agency which has satisfied the Registrar that
such bulletins are distributed in Hong Kong only to local newspapers registered
under these regulations shall, while the distribution remains so restricted not be
deemed to be a local newspaper for the purpose of these regulations and shall be
exempted therefrom. The Registrar shall declare in writing under his hand whether or
not he has been satisfied as aforesaid.

(L.N. 95188)

Offences and penalties

19. Any person who contravenes regulation 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13(1), 14 or 15 shall be
guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1,000 and
to imprisonment for 6 months provided that a contravention of regulation 15 shall be
punishable only by such fine.

(G.N.A. 27154; L.N. 95188)

SCHEDULE [regs. 3, 5, 11
and 13]
FORM1
REGISTRATION OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ORDINANCE
(Chapter 268)

NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION REGULATIONS

PARTICULARS OF PROPRIETOR, PRINTER, PUBLISHER
AND EDITOR OF LOCAL NEWSPAPER

Name of local newspaper ............................................................................................................
......

Address of local newspaper ...................................
.......................................

Frequency of publication ...........................................................................................................
......

quarterly/monthly/fortnight
or otherwise)





Full name of proprietor
....................................................................................................................

Business address of proprietor ......................................................................
.................... Tel.:

*Hong Kong identity card no. of proprietor ................................................................................

Signature or seal of proprietor ------------

Full name of printer
..........................................................................................................................

Business address of printer ..........................................................
.................... Tel.:

*Hong Kong identity card no. of printer
..........................................................................................

Signature or seal of printer
........................................................................................

Full name of publisher
.....................................................................................................................

Business address of publisher .......................
.........................................................

...........................1 1 Tel.:

*Hong Kong identity card no. of publisher
......................................................................................
Signature or seal of publisher
...........................................................................................................

Full name of editor
...................................................................................................
Business address of editor ..............................................................................................

............... 1 Tel.:

*Hong Kong identity card no. of editor
.............................................................................................
Signature or seal of editor
.................................................................................................................

1 certify that the above particulars and my description are
correct.

**Signature of informant:
..............................................

Description of informant: 1

proprietor/printer/publisher/
edit or or otherwise)

Date: ..........................

Note: *(i) Where no Hong Kong identity card is held a passport or other travel document
no. should be
inserted.
In the case of a company or other body corporate the company registration no. should be inserted.
**(ii) In the case of a company or other body corporate the informant should be a director,
manager,






secretary or other officer of that company or body corporate.
In the case of a firm or partnership the informant should he a partner of that firm or partnership.





1988 Ed.] Newspapers Registration and
Distribution Regulations




FORM 2

Licence No. ... ................................

REGISTRATION OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ORDINANCE
(Chapter 268)

NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION REGULATIONS

NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTOR'S LICENCE

................................ (full name)

of
....................................................................................................................................
..................

............................................. . (business address)
............................................. . (Hong Kong identity card no.)

is licensed as a newspaper distributor at
............................................................................................

............... (address or location) for the period ending 31 December 19 .

Fee: $ Payment received.

(photograph of
licensee)

...............................

Registrar of Newspapers

Date .................................................






FORM 3

REGISTRATION OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ORDINANCE

(Chapter 268)

NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION REGULATIONS

CHANGE OF PARTICULARS OF LOCAL NEWSPAPER

***Dale of
Particulars Existing SubstitutedChange

Name of local

newspaper ...........................
.................

Address of local

newspaper ................................... ;
..................................... ......

Frequency of

publication.............................
daily or otherwise)

Full name of

proprietor ............................................... ..........................................

Business address of

proprietor .......................................... ...........
...................







Tel.:- .......... Tei.: ...................................





***Date of
Particulars Existing Substituted Change

*Hong Kong identity
card no. of
proprietor

Signature or seal of
new proprietor

Full name of
printer

Business address of
printer

'Fei.: .....Tei.:

*Hong Kong
identity card no.
of printer

Signature or seal of new
printer

Full name of
publisher

Business address of
publisher

Tel.: ......Tel.:

*Hong Kong identity
card no. of publisher

Signature or seal of
new publisher

Full name of
editor

Business address of
editor

Tel.: ........Tel.:
*Hong Kong identity
card no. of editor................................................. ..........................................

Signature or seal of new

editor ........................................................

1 certify that the above particulars and my description are
correct.

**Signature of informant:
..................................................

Description of informant:
...............................................

(proprietor/printer/publisher/
editor/or otherwise)







Date:..............................................................................





Note: *(i) Where no Hong Kong identity card is held a passport or other travel document
no. should be
inserted.
In the case of a company or other body corporate the company registration no. should be inserted.
**(ii) In the case of a company or other body corporate the informant should be a director, manager,
secretary or other officer of that company or body corporate.
In the case of a firm or partnership the informant should he a partner of that firm or partnership.
***(iii) Insert 'No change' where furnished particulars remain unchanged.




1988 Ed.] Newspapers Registration and Distribution Regulations

https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/3052

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