Copyright administration agencies made prominent progress in safeguarding the market order and combating infringement and piracy. Altogether 16,045 copyright-related cases were received, of which 15986 were solved and closed, 194 mediated, 15640 punished, and 133 transferred; a total of 19,770,000 (19 million and 770 thousand) pieces (copies, sheets, articles) of pirated products seized, among which 1,520,000 (1 million and 520 thousand) were books, 244,000 journals, 3,109,000 (3 million and 109 thousand) software, 12,400,000 (12 million and 400 thousand)audio-visual products, 2,396,000 (2 million and 396 thousand) electronic publications, and 90,000 other pirated articles.

In 2003 copyright administration agencies at various levels, cooperating with relevant authorities, launched 4 special copyright protection campaigns, concentrating on clearing up pirated textbooks, audio-visual products, and software; altogether 4534 person-times were dispatched for law enforcement, 47 markets checked, 2223 software shops examined, 167 firms closed, and 562616 pieces/ sets of pirated software seized, thus forcefully suppressing illegal actions of infringement and piracy, and helping rectify the software market.

To repress piracy and protect authentic products, the Provincial Copyright Bureau issued the Ordinance on Prohibiting Marketing of Pirated Software; to suppress the dissemination of pirated software on the Internet, some relevant authorities jointed issued the Ordinance on Prohibiting Distribution of Disseminating Software. Notably, the Provincial Copyright Bureau also took the initiative, in alliance with the Provincial Public Security Department, the Provincial Information Technology Industry Department, the Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce, promoted the governmental utilization of authentic software; currently, the work has been completed of authentic software application training, self-check, examination, and installation for 42 departments of the provincial government.

Source: Office of Intellectual Property Protection Committee of the People¡¯s Government of Guangdong Province

Translated by: Li wei

Editor: Wing