An Internet system to fight on-line
piracy is being prepared by China's copyright authorities, said an
official on Thursday.
The system would allow for identification of pirated software,
films, music and other works which had copyright, said Yan
Xiaohong, deputy chief of the National Copyright Administration.
"Piracy is still a serious problem in China," he said.
China is the world's second-largest Internet market after the
United States with more than 123 million Internet users and 788,400
websites.
The government has issued the Protection of the Right of
Communication Through the Network, effective from July 1,
which bans the up and downloading of Internet material without the
copyright holder's permission.
Yan said the government was also working on the ratification of two
international treaties on Internet use with the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO).
However, he observed that China still lagged behind in copyright
protection at an international level although piracy remained a
problem even in countries with the highest standards of
protection.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2006)