File:Copyright Ordinance 1973 (Cap. 39).pdf

This work made by an officer of the Hong Kong Government is in the public domain in Hong Kong, because:

• it was made before 1899; or
• it was first published commercially before the end of the period of 75 years from the end of the calendar year in which it was made, and 50 years from the end of the calendar year has passed since its first commercial publication.

See section 182 of the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) of the Laws of Hong Kong.

This work is in the public domain in the U.S. because it is an edict of a government, local or foreign. See § 313.6(C)(2) of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, 3rd ed. 2014 (Compendium (Third)). Such documents include "legislative enactments, judicial decisions, administrative rulings, public ordinances, or similar types of official legal materials." These do not include works first published by the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States. See Compendium (Third) § 313.6(C)(2) and 17 U.S.C. § 104(b)(5).

A non-American governmental edict may still be copyrighted outside the U.S. Similarly, the above U.S. Copyright Office Practice does not prevent U.S. states or localities from holding copyright abroad, depending on foreign copyright laws and regulations.