FADE IN:
INT. STUDY - DAY
The TV is showing a documentary: Mission to the Moon. iPad Mini in hand, Peter sees a tag-line.
PETER (V.O.)
Neil Armstrong signed
Outer Space Treaty...?
Was that so? Did he
have the full powers to
represent the US?
Peter taps the link and begins to examine the features of an electronic copy of the Treaty. He sees Neil Armstrong's signature in blue felt tip at the blank space above Article 5.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I see. It's just his autograph
on a copy of the Outer
Space Treaty 1967.
Peter mines Article 5 of the Outer Space from the web. We see on the screen that: State Parties shall regard astronauts as envoys of mankind in outer space and shall render to them all possible assistance in the event of accident, distress, or emergency...
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The Article takes good
care of the actors... I
studied Space Law and
was examined on that.
FLASHBACK
INT. BENTHAM HOUSE, UCL - DAY & NIGHT (1986-1987)
Peter is among a dozen or so international STUDENTS. A LECTURER (30s) teaches during the day and a PROFESSOR (60s) during the night.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Fond memories of Richard
Gardiner, a former FCO
Counsellor and Bin Cheng,
the living academic Air &
Space Law authority.
We had the best of both
worlds then.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I felt I knew Prof. Bin Cheng
even before I met him. In
1985, I began reading my
External LLM (Lond) and
I chose a paper that he
originated ie Methods and
Sources of International
Law. I learned from him
how to learn International
Law.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
He's very far-sighted and
academically very broad
and deep. I'm indebted
to him for my strength in
International Law.
Peter reads further the small prints on his screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
It's actually a lot for auction.
The signature by the
first man to step foot on
the moon on a copy of the Outer Space Treaty
should add some value.
He's an actor-beneficiary
in space.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
What would be the price
difference if the copy
document is signed by
Buzz Aldrin - the second
man to land on the moon?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Having studied the law
of the land, I wanted to
learn Sea Law, Air Law
and Space Law, although
I was suggested to study
intellectual property (IP).
I thought Hong Kong might
be too small for me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Although I was on UK
FCO scholarship to read
my second LLM, I didn't
have any chance to work
in the diplomatic service,
either in UK prior to 1997,
or in China thereafter. I
was neither a full UK
national nor a full Chinese
national.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
That triggered my urge to
negotiate an interpretative
statement of "national" in a
non-sovereign context in
the draft WTO-TRIPS
Agreement. The result
is its Footnote 1.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
But that's the utmost I
could do to reflect a political
fact of identity confusion
or inferiority in a confined
legal context.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
That might help explain
why for the youngsters in
HK, not even 1 in 100
would regard himself/
herself as Chinese now.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Realizing my intended
career development was
a non-starter, I decided
to re-focus on IP. I was
born and raised in Hong
Kong and inherited its
legacy.
Peter gets an idea.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
If I put my signatures
against Footnote 1 of the
WTO-TRIPS Agreement,
or even on Hong Kong
IP laws first designed by
me, would they therefore
be valuable? I'm also an
actor-beneficiary in IP!
Enlightened, Peter picks up two copies of the WTO-TRIPS Agreements with different covers on his desk. As he signs at the left-hand margin of their respective Footnote 1, he smiles.
FADE OUT. The End