CRI听力:China to Crack down on Online Piracy

Over the past 20 years, online piracy and copyright violations have been keeping pace with the development of the internet here in China.

Regulators have been working to try to stem the tide of IPR theft via the internet.

This has made life a lot less convenient for some.

"I like watching Korean TV dramas. There are many options to choose from, like Kuaibo. I can watch it online or download it. But now, since they don't provide the resources for free any more, I find it a bit inconvenient."

Vice director of the National Copyright Administration, Yan Xiaohong, says the protection of Intellectual Property Rights is good for the long-term development of the internet in China.

"It's been 20 years since the internet came to China. We've been trying to stamp out online piracy and products which violate copyrights for the past 12 years. It's widely known that special actions are taken every year targeting online privacy. We collect evidence and report big cases to the public security departments. Copyright protection is becoming more effective in recent years."

Wang Hao is the sales director of an online video website.

He says the crack down on online piracy in recent years has brought positive impacts to the online video market.

"Copyright protection in the new media area has been growing noticeably. In the beginning, there was no copyright protection, and piracy was everywhere on the internet. But companies eventually realized that if you have a certain amount of customers and you are considering being listed, you need to use legal resources. The protection of copyright will bring positive developments for the internet industry. Part of the crackdown has seen only the big online video sites survive, such as Youku, Tudou, iQiyi, Tencent, Sohu and leTV. They are the ones who benefit and care about copyright protection."

IPR protection here in China not only covers video products, but also music and written works.

Yan Xiaohong says part of their current focus is working on strengthening the protection coverage for music and print.

"Music and written copyright holders are often not well protected and compensated. Much of their material that makes it onto the internet is downloaded for free. Solving the problem requires the authors to be united to a certain extent. Union provide end users with various options to protect their work. They'll like it."

A new circular issued by the State Council is calling for a new round of crackdowns on intellectual property infringement and counterfeit goods.

The nationwide campaign has a focus on false or deceptive advertising online.

Websites found containing illegal video or audio materials will be shut down.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.