The Chinese government has closed more than 100 websites for
copyright violations since the implementation of a new copyright
protection regulation.
"Since the regulation took effect on July 1, the administration
has enhanced supervision and punishment of online copyright
violation," said Liu Jie, deputy director of the copyright
department with China's National Copyright Administration.
"Internet users will notice that the number of websites
providing free downloads of movies and music is decreasing,"
Monday's Economic Information Daily quoted Liu as
saying.
The government passed the regulation in a bid to ban the
uploading and downloading of Internet material without
copyright-holder permission.
Under the regulation, anyone uploading texts, performances,
sound and video recordings to the Internet for downloading, or
copying, must acquire the permission of the copyright owners and
pay the required fee.
It prohibits the intentional evasion or breach of technical
measures to prevent copyright violations. The production, import
and supply of devices capable of evading or breaching technical
measures of copyright protection and technical services are also
banned.
The regulation also requires copyright owners to inform Internet
service providers when infringements occur and request them to
delete the link in question.
"Among the websites that had been shut down, some cases are
being considered for prosecution," Liu said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)
?