The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) recently issued new regulations that require all films, TV series, cartoons and documentaries aired through the Internet to first obtain offline broadcasting licenses.

The new regulations came as a heavy blow to the currently booming audio-video services available online without the license.

According to the rules, even websites which have purchased the copyrights directly from the distributors, may find it difficult to broadcast content.

A source surnamed Lei with OpenV.com, one of the biggest domestic video sites, told a reporter from China.com.cn, the regulation effectively means that only state-approved TV stations and cinemas will be entitled to import content from abroad for webcasting.

Ms. Lei revealed that a majority of the American hit TV shows currently online have no copyrights. Many video-based websites are just carriers that greatly rely on user-generated content. She claims users usually obtain the pirated DVDs from the black market and upload them as free downloads for others.

Since the regulation was released, it has raised heated discussion among the public.

Netizens are anxious to know whether they will still have easy access to free content in future. Concerned website owners are also trying hard to work out solutions in accordance with government rules although they have not yet detailed the new legislation.

Lei, not so optimistic about the future, sighed, "no doubt, hit dramas like 'Prison Break' will no longer be available on our websites as they don't have the required licenses."

She says, the statement will inevitably affect the operation of video search engines like Tudou.com and Youku.com.

Online services provide people with great convenience. The first episode of a new season of "Prison Break" will usually appear online one day after airing in the U.S. However, this may change after the new policy is enacted.

Li also indicated the regulations could affect the timeliness of online broadcasts, as TV station approval procedures are quite slow.

Many netizens are worried about the impending bans on their favorite foreign TV sites. Others have voiced their strong support, claiming it is a good chance to crack down on China's illegal video sites, raising people's awareness of copyrights and protecting the intellectual property rights (IPR) of the country.

The Chinese government began issuing online video broadcasting licenses to Internet sites in January 2008. SARFT has closed a total of 341 audio-video sites for containing 'low-brow' content, according to Xinhua News Agency.

(CRI April 2, 2009)