Recently, National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and State Administration of Radio, Film and Television jointly issue the Circular of Strictly Prohibiting Illegally Relaying Olympic Games and Related Activities Through Internet (hereafter referred to as the Circular), requiring authorities of various regions to severely deal with the internet websites and mobile phone platforms that relay Olympic Games and related activities without approval.

The Circular clarifies that the International Olympic Committee has granted the exclusive rights of relaying the 29th Olympic Games and related activities through new media (internet and mobile phone platforms) in the Chinese mainland and Macau to China Central TV (CCTV). No other new media such as the internet websites and mobile phone platforms are allowed to relay these activities without authorization from CCTV. Various internet websites and mobile phone platforms can legally use the video and audio signals of Olympic Games and related activities through maintaining approvals from CCTV Internet Media Center.

The Circular points out that cracking down on the practices of illegally relaying Olympic Games and related activities through internet and mobile phone platforms will be included into the 2008 Special Action Against Internet Infringement and Piracy jointly launched by NCAC, Ministry of Public Security and MIIT and related departments will severely punish those internet websites and mobile phone platforms that relay Olympic Games and related activities without approvals.

The Circular requires authorities of various regions to strengthen supervision upon the licensed and registered internet websites and mobile phone platforms. In case that any internet websites and mobile phone platforms illegally relay Olympic Games and related activities, copyright administrations should take prompt and severe measures to punish them according to laws Telecommunications administration will also take administrative measures such as cutting internet access and closing website according to the illegality confirmed by copyright law-enforcement departments. Radio, film and television administrations should guide, supervise and urge those internet websites and mobile phone platforms with License of Broadcasting Video and Audio Programs on the Internet not to illegally use video and audio programs of Olympic Games and related activities. In case that the circumstances of some internet websites and mobile phone platforms illegally relaying Olympic Games and related activities are so serious as to constitute a suspected crime, public security authorities should claim against them for criminal liabilities. For the unlicensed and unrecorded internet websites and mobile phone platforms that illegally relay Olympic Games and related activities, telecommunications administrations should outlaw them according to law once their illegal activities are confirmed.