Joint action against internet infringement and piracy

Sources from the 2008 Forum on the Special Action of Cracking Down on Internet Infringement and Piracy held by the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) show that NCAC, Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) jointly issue the Circular on the Implementation Plan of 2008 Special Action of Cracking Down on Internet Infringement and Piracy, deciding to launch the fourth round of special actions against internet infringement and piracy throughout the country from June 12 to October 15. Taking strong measures against illegally relaying Olympic events through media like internet and mobile phone will be the focus of the special action.

The 29th Olympic Games will be held in Beijing this year and by then, the practice of illegally relaying Olympic events may emerge. The Circular requires local copyright administrations, public security departments and information industry departments of various regions to severely crack down on the practice of illegally relaying Olympic events through internet to pragmatically maintain normal order of internet information dissemination and protect the legal interests of right holders.

The special action will also check up and rectify the problems that attract attentions from all walks of life at home and abroad such as infringement and piracy of video websites, severely punishing those video websites that publicize other's works without approvals. Meanwhile, the special action will also strengthen active supervisions upon websites, especially large websites and those specialized in music, movie, software, book and game dissemination, so as to standardize the utilization of works on the internet. It also encourages and supports right holders to participate in and help the launch of the special action, and exerts the public's supervision role in cracking down on piracy through channels such as the reporting platform at the website of the NCAC and 12390 reporting phone.

NCAC will take the lead in establishing the Office of the Special Action of Cracking Down on Internet Infringement and Piracy to direct and coordinate the special actions in various regions in a unified way; related departments of MPS and MIIT will appoint liaison officials for touring supervision in some key regions in China, and guide the legal and technological problems emerged during law-enforcement process in various regions.