Two domestic companies have been fined for pirating computer
software.
The National Copyright Administration fined Beijing Zhongxinlian
Digital Technology Share Holding Company and Tianjin Folk Disk
Company 80,000 yuan (US$9,600) and 10,000 yuan (US$1,200) for
copying computer software products from US Microsoft (China) Co.
Ltd.
The administration made the announcement on Friday.
In June, Microsoft accused the two Chinese companies of pirating
its software products.
After investigating for several months, the administration found
that from November 2001 to June 2003, Beijing Zhongxinlian Digital
Technology Share Holding Company had duplicated 55,000 pieces of
Microsoft software and earned 10,405 yuan (US$1,253) of illegal
profits.
The Tianjin Folk Disk Company had copied 4,000 pieces of
Microsoft software in 2002 and earned 600 yuan (US$72).
In line with the country's Regulation on Computer Software
Protection, the administration has fined the two companies and
confiscated their revenues.
"The National Copyright Administration's punishment to the two
companies reflects the Chinese Government's high regard for
copyright protection, and an effective protection of the legal
interests of copyright owners," said Jennifer Ma, a spokesperson
for Microsoft in a telephone interview with China
Daily.
"Our company will work with other software companies, to
continue to support the National Copyright Administration and other
relevant governmental departments, for their educational and
enforcement work of deepening intellectual property rights
protection, so as to further create a favourable climate for the
software industry development," she said.
The National Copyright Administration has also punished 52 audio
and video shops with 58,000 yuan (US$6,900) worth of fines.
Individual fines depended on sales volumes.
The 52 companies had sold pirated video compact disks (VCD) and
digital video disks (DVD) of the US movie Shrek 2.
Shrek 2, produced by the US-based Dreamworks SKG, hit Chinese
theatres on August 10.
On September 20, Dreamworks SKG said pirated copies of the movie
had been sold by video and audio shops and street peddlers in
Beijing and Shanghai, Guangdong Province and another 12 provinces,
before authorized VCDs and DVDS of Shrek 2 hit the market in
November 5.
Shrek 2 was released on May 19, 2004 in the United States. It is
a sequel to the Academy Award-winning blockbuster Shrek.
Following the complaint from Dreamworks, the National Copyright
Administration inspected 2,600 audio and video shops in 13
municipalities or provinces.
Authorities seized 1,140 copies of pirated copies of Shrek
2.
The administration's spokesman Wang Ziqiang said his agency will
continue to intensify the campaign fight against copyright
piracy.
(China Daily December 4, 2004)