Vendors and retailers who sell pirated DVDs, compact discs and
software will soon face tougher scrutiny under a new crackdown
effort by the government.
Six ministries have joined hands to go after the sale and
production of illegal CDs, DVDs, software and books on the streets
and elsewhere.
In a circular issued by the country's Anti-Pornography and
Anti-Piracy Office on Thursday, the plan calls for stronger efforts
against street vendors and unlicensed wholesalers involved in
illegal publication businesses.
"Fundamental changes must be made within this year in large and
middle-sized cities," the circular said. Anti-pornography and
anti-piracy offices will need to coordinate their efforts.
Construction departments, for example, will monitor the streets
and sidewalks. The department may also consider the number of
vendors on the street in assessing the quality of those streets
during the review process.
Cultural departments will monitor audio and video production
businesses while press and publication departments will continue to
supervise and check for violations at print, copy and distribution
outlets.
Meanwhile, industrial and commerce departments will confiscate
publication and production equipment and facilities. In addition,
public security departments will cooperate with specific
departments and launch investigations.
In Shanghai, patrol and law enforcement officials said they
intend to use their three daily shifts to enforce the crackdown
initiative. They also plan to beef up manpower during off-work
hours when vendors are most visible.
One official told the China News Service that confiscating
illegal products from street vendors "has been our long-term aim"
and added that staff were already overloaded with such work.
Statistics show that in the first four months of 2007, China
seized 48.99 million illegal publications including 1.69 million
porn products, 1.06 million illegal newspapers and periodicals and
2.96 million smuggled CDs.
In addition, the country also investigated 8,954 cases during
that period and imposed some type of criminal punishment against
165 people.
The efforts seem to be taking effect.
"I don't see so many pirated CD and DVD vendors now," said Liu
Meiyu, a university student with Tsinghua University.
(China Daily May 26, 2007)