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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 26, 2001

China Cracking Down on Piracy of DVDs

China's law enforcement departments are making efforts to crack down on the piracy of Digital Video Discs (DVDs) so as protect legal property rights in China's entertainment video market. It is the first ever campaign lunched by the central authorities to clamp down on infringements upon property rights of DVDs.


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Cracking down on the piracy of DVDs

China's law enforcement departments are making efforts to crack down on the piracy of Digital Video Discs (DVDs) so as protect legal property rights in China's entertainment video market.

The move underscores the central government's commitment to cleaning up the market, said Monday's China Daily.

It is the first ever campaign lunched by the central authorities to clamp down on infringements upon property rights of DVDs, a technically advanced and more expensive version of VCDs.

The Ministry of Culture has joined in the campaign by the copyright administration and public security departments.

Joint investigations into illegal outlets urged

A joint circular issued throughout all provincial governments urges joint investigations into illegal outlets in a hope that tip-offs on piracy production sources will stem the flow of demos from abroad.

The action follows a spate of crackdowns on VCDs and software piracy an other audio and video counterfeits that resulted in the demolition of a host of large manufacturing sources in provinces of Guangdong and Yunnan.

Besides the ongoing campaign, revisions on the major regulatory framework of the market have been made. Penalties have been stiffened as well.



Statistics------China's Important Role in the Worldwide Recording Media Industry
  • DVD-video players, sold a record 8.5 million players in the U.S. last year.
  • Globally, there were 18.2 million DVD-video players sold in 2000.
  • 440 million DVDs will be replicated in North America; 205 million in Europe; 110 million in Japan; and 40 million in China.
  • Even stronger DVD replication in China in the years ahead: 275 million DVDs by 2004, surpassing Japan's expected 240 million in that same year.
  • Demand for video-CD media in Asia is expected to grow through 2002, peaking at 1.1 billion in 2002.
  • By the end of this year, China will rank third worldwide with its anticipated total of 1.5 billion CD and DVD units produced.
  • China's share of the worldwide replication market amounted to 17 percent last year, more than double the share of Japan.
  • Demand for CD-audio replication in China is expected to decline 9 percent from 2000 through 2004.
  • Video-CD dominates China's optical media production; 835 million units are expected to be replicated this year. CD-audio discs are also big business, with 360 million units expected to be produced in China in 2001. 310 million CD-Roms are projected to be replicated in China this year.



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