In 2003, the culture administration departments in Guangdong, via appropriately raising standards for entry into market and strictly conducting qualification check, arranged re-examination and re-registration of audio-visual business organizations. Through this process, closed a number of small-scale, scattered, sub-standard audio-visual business units were closed, and the number of audio-visual businesses was reduced to 6500 from nearly 9000. Meanwhile, illegal activities in audio-visual business were strictly investigated and prosecuted; any business making or marketing over 100 pieces of IP infringing audio-visual products would be revoked of the business license, and rectification of the audio-visual market proved successful.

All through the year, a total of 126,000 person-times were dispatched for law enforcement by culture administration agencies jointly with relevant authorities; they checked 22,000 audio-visual business units, seized 75,880,000 (75 million and 880 thousand) pieces of illegal audio-visual products, revoked the business licenses of 29 units, closed a lot of illegal audio-visual shops, and seized 335 suspects. During the whole year, the culture administration departments, along with Guangdong Customs and the Public Security force, seized 32 illegal CD production lines capable of manufacturing 173,000,000 (173 million) CDs.

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

Translated by: Li wei

Editor: Wing