Copyright protection in China has made some progress since 2001, when the country amended its Copyright Law and joined the World Trade Organization.

But more efforts are needed to perfect this protection, officials and experts say.

"It is important to enhance the public's consciousness to protect the copyright of both domestic and foreign owners," said Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, at a symposium held in Beijing last week.

"People should know that it is wrong to pirate the works of others."

Xu said the director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization had twice praised China's success in setting up a comprehensive intellectual property rights system within 20 years.

"Although international organizations thought highly of our progress in legislating on intellectual property rights (IPR), our practice is still far from satisfactory," Xu said.

"We must upgrade the skills of staff engaged in enforcing the laws, improve the efficiency of judicial departments and improve the public's awareness of IPR protection."

Protecting intellectual property rights is a long-term task.

It is not enough to hold a few conferences and launch a few special campaigns.

Instead, unremitting efforts should be made by copyright, public security and other related departments to fight against IPR infringements together, said Xu.

He suggested audio, video and computer software companies lower prices of copyright products so they are nearer to pirate ones, reducing the incentive to buy illegal copies.

Shi Zongyuan, director of the National Copyright Administration, said rooting out the piracy in video compact disks (VCD), digital video disks (DVD), textbooks and computer software products, is considered a high priority, as such activities are still rampant in some regions.

Shi said another important task is to popularize the use of copyrighted computer software for office work among government departments across the country.

A legislation system for copyright protection will also be improved.

Legislation of laws for protecting folk arts and literature is already underway.

The Regulation of Protection for Copyright on the Internet-based Information Network has been listed in plans for next year by the Legislative Affairs Office under the State Council, said Shi.

Shi said his administration also encourages the development of intermediary copyright agencies to help safeguard the interests of copyright owners.

The State Council has launched a special IPR protection campaign which will last throughout the whole of next year, focusing on anti-piracy in audio and video products, printing sectors and computer software products, according to Huang Hai, vice-director of the Office of the National IPR Protection Working Group.

Cry for protection

The Beijing-based Kingsoft Company, which was on the brink of closure because of poor profits several years ago, has been revitalized thanks to newly-developed products and copyright protection, said the company's head Lei Jun.

The company intends to invest 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million) to develop new software products.

"This new investment indicates that we are confident of copyright protection in the country," said Lei.

"The amendment of the Copyright Law and China's accession to the World Trade Organization have enhanced our confidence in doing business," he said.

Lei said more efforts are needed to protect intellectual property rights better. Industrial circles should not keep complaining about current problems, such as piracy.

They should make efforts themselves to safeguard their own IPR achievements and rationally lower the price of their products.

Wang Liping, a composer and the chairman of the China Music Copyright Association, said it is encouraging that music could no longer be played freely. This marked progress in the respect of copyright, Wang said.

But piracy is still rampant in some places and enforcement should be tightened, he said.

"As long as society makes concerted efforts to fight piracy, we can boost our national cultural industry," said Wang.

Development of Internet-based network technology and application of new technology have posed new problems in copyright protection. Relevant departments should work out more effective measures to protect copyright, said Liu Guoxiong, head of the China Audio and Video Association.

The music industry has long been heavily affected by piracy. Judicial and administrative authorities must intensify enforcement to slash piracy activities, said Liu.

He said music and cultural circles should also discipline themselves for copyright protection.

The departments of copyright, culture, public security, industry and commerce, customs, press and publication, have joined hands to crack down on piracy activities over the past few years, according to the publicity and information office of the National Copyright Administration.

However, producing and selling pirated VCDs and DVDs are common across the country, the cheaper prices attractive to the public, according to the administration.

It is difficult to arrest "sell-and-run" peddlers, who have no fixed and regular shops. They sell pirated VCDs or DVDs in the street, around schools or residential quarters, then flee.

Community committees will be encouraged to help the administration crack down on these peddlers.

Government action

A new piracy method of condensing digital video disks (DVD), by which many pieces of film or music are condensed into fewer disks, has seriously impaired the marketing of TV plays.

Markets of TV video compact disks (VCD) and DVDs are generally bustling in the second half of each year. But this year, sales volume of VCDs and DVDs is sluggish due to random sales of condensed DVDs, CCTV web news reported.

The TV series "Chinese-Style Divorce" was widely broadcast on many TV channels over the past two months. Copyright DVDs of this 23-part of TV series should have sold like hot cakes. But pirated condensed versions have so far outnumbered copyrighted copies in many cities.

Li Yongqing, business manager of Beijing Jindie Video Art Centre, said for a 23-part TV series, there were eight disks for all the parts on copyrighted DVDs, while there were only two disks in the pirate collections.

Some 11 major domestic video products companies are discussing how to reverse this situation.

The Ministry of Culture has circulated an urgent notice, calling on regional administrations to keep a close eye on wholesalers and retailers of video products, as well as corresponding markets, computer and other electronic products markets, to crack down on pirated DVDs.

Chenzhou in Central China's Hunan Province and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province have recently closed an illegal production line of pirated DVDs.

Sources from the National Copyright Administration said activities of making and selling condensed DVDs have been monitored in recent years.

Slashing such activities is still a part of the anti-piracy campaign for the next few years, according to the administration.

Efforts by local governments

In the past two years, Beijing has set up the Beijing Copyright Protection Centre and the Beijing Computer Software Registration Centre to provide better services for copyright protection.

The Beijing Copyright Protection Centre has received more than 10,000 copyright applications over the past two years, including the logo for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

To meet international standards, Beijing Copyright Agent Co has invited 16 experts in copyright from Britain, France, Italy, Norway, Iceland, Portugal and Australia to give periodic advice.

In July, Beijing Copyright Bureau and the Business Software Alliance of the United States launched a training programme in protecting copyrighted software, for the capital's enterprises and institutes involved in design, construction decoration, exhibitions, press and printing and computer software development.

According to Wang Yefei, the bureau's deputy director, Beijing has selected 20 audio and video shops as the first pilot group to sell copyrighted music products.

The bureau has also invited foreign investors to give honours to commercial sectors who prove to be effective in protecting copyright.

Wang suggested that IPR experts and the press educate the public and mobilize people from all walks of life in the fight.

"Scientific circles should develop anti-piracy technologies to counter piracy, because violators frequently update their skills," said Wang.

East China's Fujian Province - a hub of arts and crafts - has listed the protection of arts and crafts as a priority in the past two years, according to Bai Jingzhao, an official at the Fujian Provincial Copyright Bureau.

Cities and counties in the province have all set up copyright protection centres.

This year, the provincial bureau has conducted four special inspections into the markets and producers of books, audio and video products, computer software and especially arts and crafts industries.

The bureau has cracked down on 210 copyright violations, and most of the cases are related to arts and crafts produced in Sino-foreign joint ventures.

Bai said although the province is a hub of arts and crafts, most enterprises are labour-intensive ones lacking independent technology.

The province will select 10 outstanding companies to make technology breakthroughs under copyright protection.

(China Daily 11/22/2004 page5)