Last Chapter 上回提要

Japanese software company to publish Nintendo disk system wants to gain profit by selling original copies of software to design more new games. Their thought can be easily achieved because the national relation taught people the copyright law. This makes the market of video game console health.

開發任天堂磁碟的日本軟件廠商，原意利用在售買原裝遊戲所賺來的金錢去設計更多新穎的遊

戲，而她們的「如意算盤」可說打得甚響。因為日本人的民族意識很強，深知要消費者購買原裝遊戲，才可以

令廠商有資源設計新遊戲，利益始終歸於玩家，形成良性循環。

This chapter will discuss the policies applied by Government for copyrights laws in the another country

~HONG KONG~

這一回我們將探討另一個政府對於知識產權方面所採取的措施 ----- 香港。

香港（HONG KONG）

Many dealer sole the original diskette for Nintendo Disk System when it launched on initial stage which similar to Japan. But the appear of illegal software made the original game phase out quickly had few reason:

在磁碟介面發展初期，很多電視遊戲分銷商和日本一樣是售賣原裝磁碟的，但是後來翻版磁碟出

現，引致原裝磁碟銷量大跌，及至消聲匿跡，當中有幾個原因：

(i) When the engineer to design Disk system for Nintendo, they reserved the copy function for later extension. Although it required a minor modification of the circuit of PCB. We called this kind of disk drive as "White bottom machine".

The illegal copy of game software found in the later development of disk system. Copy function for all disk drive produced later than 1986 were deleted. We called this kind of disk drive as "Pink bottom machine". Basically, red bottom machine cannot add the copy function easily. But it can be added by replace the whole PCB. This makes the copy machines continues provided.

（1） 日本任天堂設計磁碟機時，預留有COPY功能，只須在線路上稍作修改，便可成為可以翻抄磁碟的碟機，

這類能夠抄碟的磁碟機叫做「白底機」。為了杜絕翻版的情況，在1986年後所出的磁碟機全部刪除

COPY功能，這類磁碟機叫做「粉紅底機」，理論上粉紅底機是不可能改的，但實際上只要將

白底機整份線路版換上粉紅底機上，就可用來抄磁碟。

The label adhere at the bottom of the disk system which can distinguish the different type of disk drive. (white or pink in colour)

左圖這張貼在磁碟機底的標貼是用以分別兩種不同的磁碟機，而關鍵就是它

的底色是白或粉紅。

(ii) Some merchants import large amount of low cost diskette from China to instead the original diskette for copy software which can gain a enormous profit. Then the cost of each illegal software may be reduced. This made the decrease the portion of market for original game software.

（2）有某一些零售商在中國內地引入平價磁碟，更有些商人於內地設廠生產，用來翻抄磁碟，進一步侵蝕原裝

遊戲市場。

The orginal disk have words "NINTENDO" at the bottom. This design is used to fit the same word inside Disk Drive to ensure the correct reading can be made during operation.

原裝磁碟的特點是在磁碟的底部印有任天堂英文字的坑紋，這是用於

對應藏在磁碟機內相對的坑紋，以確保磁頭能準確讀取磁碟上的資

料。

For the reduction of cost, an illegal diskette from China are cancel the wording previously illustrated but this may cause the disk error and reduce the life of the Disk System.

一些來自中國大陸的平價磁碟，為了減低成本，取消了之前所說的字樣坑

紋。這亦增加了磁碟的損壞率，磁碟機的壽命亦往往因要多次讀取不良的磁

碟而相對地縮短。

　

(iii) HACKER company of Japan published software called DISK-HACKER in 1986, it can help the users to backup games themselves for own use. But the merchants of Hong Kong brought this software to copy a illegal copies of games and sold them in the video shop.

（3）日本HACKER公司於1986 年出品的 DISK－HACKER 抄碟程式，原意是希望用戶能自我備份軟件，但是商

人將此軟件從日本引入本港，成為一些電視遊戲店的生財工具，私自複製軟件出售，間接助長抄碟

的風氣。

　

HACKER company in Japan product the disk utility for Disk System increase the probability for merchant to released their illegal software.

日本的HACKER公司所推出的軟件管理系統，間接令不法商人容易製造非

法的軟件，賺取豐厚的利潤。

After 1988, Hong Kong Government felt the serious problem of copyright. Custom Department put heavy effort to beat the dealer who sold the illegal software, but the effect were not conspicuous. Japan cannot made a legal claim against the dealer in foreign who sold the illegal copies of software because the copyright law protected the software in Japan only. Many people join this market because the great profit. Original copies of game software phased out and disappear in about half year. This lead to the began of the illegal software in Hong Kong.

從此，翻版磁碟充斥市場，猖獗非常。政府海關雖然對此犯法行為大力掃蕩，但收效不大；日本只

能對其國內翻版商人作出檢控及訴訟，對海外的無法干預，顯得有心無力。由於翻版可賺取豐厚利潤，吸引不

少人入行，蠶食己不斷萎縮的原裝遊戲市場。翻版遊戲在半年內令原裝遊戲無立足之地，消聲匿跡。亦展開了

香港電視遊戲史的翻版時代。

Released on 9 March 1998

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