Authorities zoom in on film piracy

A nationwide campaign against pirated movies has been launched across China ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival, authorities announced on Tuesday.

The campaign, jointly conducted by the National Copyright Administration, the China Film Administration, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to strengthen film copyright protection, maintain market order and foster a healthy viewing environment.

Authorities said the campaign will involve both offline inspections and online monitoring, with a severe crackdown on illegal activities such as covert recording in cinemas, unauthorized distribution of films and the sale of pirated intellectual property derivative products, in accordance with the law.

They also called for stricter oversight in cases involving young people being lured into illegal recording activities, urging internet platforms to assume greater responsibility in reviewing uploaded content.

In addition, authorities said more efforts will be directed toward integrating and upgrading the film industry, strengthening copyright education and raising public awareness about respecting intellectual property rights.

China has stepped up intellectual property protection in recent years and maintained high pressure against piracy in the film industry. Data released by the National Copyright Administration showed that during a similar campaign last year, more than 762,600 web links to pirated movies were removed, and 1,667 online accounts were banned or restricted from distributing content.

On Tuesday, authorities also highlighted 12 noteworthy cases to demonstrate the country's firm stance and coordinated efforts against film piracy.

In one case, a group in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, received prison sentences ranging from three to seven years, along with fines, after being found to have profited from operating websites that broadcast pirated films.

In Shanghai, an individual surnamed Chang was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, with a 32-month reprieve, for copyright infringement. Chang was found to have made illegal profits by broadcasting more than 5.2 million episodes without authorization from copyright holders since September 2023 and was fined 1.2 million yuan ($174,000).

Authorities said that while criminal penalties are imposed on serious offenders, administrative punishments are also applied in less severe cases. In one such case, an individual surnamed Deng in Heze, Shandong province, was fined for selling edited and processed films through online shops, and illegal gains were confiscated.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn