Is it illegal to bring mobile phones or digital cameras with recording functions into cinemas?
Pursuant to the Prevention of Copyright Piracy Ordinance, any person who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, has in his possession in a place of public entertainment any video recording equipment commits an offence. Possession of mobile phones for communication purpose in cinemas is regarded as a reasonable excuse and thus is not against the law. However, using mobile phones or digital cameras to make video recordings cannot be regarded as such and is therefore illegal. After enactment of the law, Customs has not received any complaints regarding the use of mobile phones or digital cameras for illegal video recording in cinemas. Under the prevailing legislation, places of public entertainment can prohibit the entry of persons carrying video recording equipment, request them to leave the premises, or take any necessary measures to prevent illegal recording.
