China to Further Curtail Audio-Visual MarketChina has decided to further curtail its audio-visual market this year in a bid to fight against rampant smuggling and piracy in order to improve the competitiveness of the national industry.Tuo Zuhai, an official with the Ministry of Culture, noted that the country has too many small-scaled shops selling CD, compact discs and video cassettes. Statistics show that there are more than 140,000 such shops last year. China is now carrying a three-month sting operation on such shops and centers. So far, 10 large distribution ports in provinces of Guangdong, Liaoning, Sichuan, Hunan, Henan, Helongjiang and Jilin have been closed. The official in charge of China's audio-visual market contributed the rampant smuggling and piracy to loopholes in law. The local protectionism and the consumers' ignorance concerning intellectual property have also added to the problem, he said. Tuo hopes that by the end of this year, China will see "a significant change" in the market. |
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