S4 ICT: Data Privacy And Intellectual Property (Paper 1 (basics))

S4 ICT: Data Privacy and Intellectual Property (Paper 1 (basics))

2026-11-14

Tutor Prep Guide · the six data protection principles of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, the forty-day limit for data access requests, consent for direct marketing, copyright for life plus fifty years, a twenty-year standard patent, registered designs up to twenty-five years, ten-year trade mark terms, fair dealing and open source licences

S4 ICT: Data Privacy and Intellectual Property (Paper 1 (basics))

Paper 1 (basics): ten questions on data privacy and intellectual property, with answers and notes.

Direct answers　Level: S4 ICT; format: the six data protection principles, data access requests, copyright and patent terms, design and trade mark renewal, licensing.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: S4 ICT: Data Privacy and Intellectual Property
Level	S4

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationHow many data protection principles are listed in Schedule 1 of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance?
FoundationWithin how many days must a data user comply with a data access request?
FoundationIs an online nickname that cannot be linked to any real person personal data?
IntermediateFor how many years after the author dies does copyright normally last in Hong Kong?
IntermediateWhat is the maximum term of a standard patent?
IntermediateHow long is each term of a registered design, and what is the maximum?
ChallengeHow long is each trade mark term, and is there a limit on renewals?
ChallengeA standard patent is filed in 2010 and kept in force. In which year does it expire?
ChallengeWhat does the fourth data protection principle, DPP4, govern?
Error redoA student claims data posted publicly online is entirely outside the privacy Ordinance. What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	6	Schedule 1 sets out 6 principles covering purpose, accuracy and retention, use limitation, security, openness, and access and correction; all of them apply at once.
2	40 days	The Ordinance allows 40 days; if the request is ignored, the individual may complain to the Privacy Commissioner.
3	Generally no, because it cannot practicably identify a living individual	Personal data must identify a living individual directly or indirectly; a nickname that leads to nobody fails that definition.
4	50 years	Copyright normally runs for the author lifetime plus 50 years; after that the work is in the public domain.
5	20 years	A standard patent lasts up to 20 years from the filing date, provided the annual fees keep being paid.
6	5 years per term, up to 25 years	Each term is 5 years and can be renewed 5 times, so 5 times 5 gives 25 years.
7	10 years per term, renewable without limit	A trade mark is renewed every 10 years and can be held indefinitely as long as it is used and renewed.
8	2030	2010 plus the 20-year term gives 2030, so it expires in 2030.
9	Data security	DPP4 requires all practicable security steps against unauthorised or accidental access, processing, erasure or loss of personal data.
10	Wrong: being public does not change whether it is personal data; collection and use still fall under the six principles	Public availability only affects the reasonable expectation of privacy and whether collection is lawful; it does not license copying, resale or indefinite retention.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

First ask whether the data can identify a living individual, then walk the six principles from collection to deletion; for intellectual property always give both the term and its starting point, filing date for patents and year of death for copyright.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.