China busts over 500 online piracy cases in 2016

China's anti-piracy campaign is making inroads with copyright and legal authorities pursuing more than 500 cases involving online copyright infringements in 2016.

The National Copyright Administration,on Thursday announced the results of the 2016 Jianwang Operation, an annual campaign against online piracy initiated in 2005, targeting unauthorized streaming, downloading and sales of literary, film, television and music works.

In cooperation with legal and internet administrative departments, NCA investigated 514 administrative cases of online piracy, shut down 290 websites providing unlicensed content and issued 4.67 million yuan ($672,232) in fines during the operation from July to November.

Thirty-three cases, including some already punished administratively, were handed over to judicial departments for criminal prosecution.

A large portion of the violators were accused of unauthorized streaming and providing illegal downloads of hit TV series, reality shows, films and pop music for commercial benefit, according to NCA.

"Online piracy has severely harmed the interests of original copyright holders, misled consumers and tarnished our country's image in intellectual property sector," Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of NCA, said.

"Despite the fruitful operation, we shall keep our strong stance against infringements and work closely with relevant internet scrutiny and law-enforcement departments to deter piracy."

To prevent major video streaming platforms from spreading unlicensed content, regional copyright authorities have established their own monitoring systems with the backing of internet watchdogs.

The NCA added 284 popular movies and TV shows to its protection list in 2016,to warn major online broadcasters and distributors against unauthorized use.

Beijing's municipal copyright administration has been monitoring 20 video and 12 music streaming websites since the beginning of this year to deter copyright violation.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology pledged to offer full support on internet supervision and detection to help the fight against online piracy.

"The protection of copyright needs cross-department coordination and we will play our part in providing necessary technical support," You Jianqing, an official from the ministry, said.