China meeting software protection obligation

BEIJING - China is meeting its international obligation in software protection by phasing out pirated computer programs in its government agencies, an official said on Thursday.

The Chinese central government is performing its duties when it comes to copyright protection regarding software products, including those used by government agencies, Yan Xiaohong, National Copyright Administration deputy director, told a press conference.

Investigating and correcting uncopyrighted software in central and provincial-level government departments was completed at the end of last year, and the campaign will reach city-level and county-level agencies by the end of this year, Yan said.

Moreover, the government is working to establish a reliable system, including clear specifications on financial support, regulation enforcement and auditing processes, to ensure software copyright protection in government agencies.

There will also be regular checks to ensure the implementation of relevant requirements, the official said.

According to Tian Lipu, director of the State Intellectual Property Office, the number of new filings for software copyright registration in China hit a record high last year, reaching 139,000 applications.

In 2008, the number was 45,000 and there has been a huge increase over recent years, Yan said.

Moreover, the production value of China's software industry has grown from 75 billion yuan ($12.03 billion) in 2001 to 2.5 trillion yuan last year, indicating that the country's software protection efforts are effective, he said.