Million CDs smashed in campaign ( 2003-12-20 00:48) (China Daily)
One million pirated software discs and pirated DVDs and VCDs were destroyed
by the police on Friday in Yizhuang Economic Development Area of Beijing.
Police officers
destroy confiscated pirated software discs and pirated DVDs and VCDs
Friday in Yizhuang Economic Development Area of Beijing.
[newsphoto.com.cn]
Copyright administrations and the relative departments in Beijing, Shanghai,
Sichuan, and Guangdong launched a three-month joint campaign in Septemberagainst
pirated software.
The campaign, co-ordinated by the National Copyright Administration, was
aimed at supporting the development of the software industry.
According to the latest incomplete statistics, 67,908 personnel of the local
copyrights administrations took part in the campaign and suppressed some 3.6
million discs in the three months.
"The special campaign has ended successfully, but similar campaigns will be
taken against software piracy in the future,'' said an officer of the National
Copyright Administration who declined to be named.
Being at the core of information industry, the software industry is one of
basic industries in the country. It is also playing an important role in social
and economic development.
However, piracy has become a major obstacle holding back the development of
China's software industry in recent years.
Striking out at piracy and protecting copyright has been an emphasis of the
government's work in the past decade.
Incomplete statistics show that during 1995 and 2002, the country's copyright
administrations smashed 197 million pieces of pirated products.
Courts at all levels have accepted 18,600 infringement cases during that
period, 18,000 of which have been completed.
Design software developer Autodesk said earlier this month that its sales on
the mainland are expected to rise by 30 per cent in the next three years as
intellectual property right (IPR) protection improves and demand from architects
and engineers rises.
