China's intellectual property rights (IPR) watchdog has turned its attention to
Internet infringements after launching a successful campaign to
contain DVD and CD piracy.
In its sights are illegal downloads of films, music, software
and textbooks, which have been described as "rampant."
"IPR infringements on the Internet not only violate the
interests of copyright holders but also stain the country's
reputation globally," said Long Xinmin, head of the National
Copyright Administration (NCA), which, along with the ministries of
Public Security, and Commerce, launched a three-month campaign on
Monday.
The IPR watchdog has vowed to clamp down on major websites that
offer unauthorized downloads. While it has no authority to deal
with foreign websites offering illegal material, it is targeting
local sites that offer either links outside the country or
unauthorized downloads
The administration collaborated with major IPR protection
associations in the country to collect evidence for 302 Internet
IPR infringement cases during a one-month investigation, according
to Wang Ziqiang, head of the NCA's copyright management
department.
"The number is double that of last year, which means that
Internet copyright infringement is still rampant," Wang said.
Officials have tracked down the website operators and their
details will be passed on to local copyright bureaus for action,
Wang added.
Of the 302 cases involving 31 regions, 123 are about software
IPR infringement, followed by films and music. Most are in
developed areas such as Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang Province.
Copyright holders and IPR experts, however, said administrative
punishment alone is not enough.
"The campaign will help reduce IPR violations to some extent.
But instead of periodic clampdowns, we need a consistent effort
from officials and the awareness and cooperation of both netizens
and website operators," said Xu Li, deputy general manager of
Beijing-based Huayi Brothers Film Investment Co, the country's
biggest private film-maker and a victim of IPR infringement.
Internet users in China are known as netizens.
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Xu suggested that, considering the strong demand for online
content, filmmakers could consider authorizing downloads from legal
websites.
However, few film companies in the US or China bother to offer
online versions of their products due to low profit margins.
"IPR infringement cases in the virtual world are hard to
supervise. Some of them involve foreign websites. Netizens also
have difficulty distinguishing legal websites from illegal ones,"
Jiang Zhipei, president of the IPR Court at the Supreme People's
Court, told China Daily.
"So it is a long battle requiring cooperation from both
netizens, website operators and sound legal and administrative
backup."
(China Daily November 1, 2006)