China Passes Internet Copyright Legislation

Turtlewind writes "According to the Peoples' Daily Online, the Chinese government has passed new legislation regarding copyright on the internet. As well as increasing the penalties for online infringement and forcing ISPs to remove illegal content if given written notice, the law also bans "the production, import and supply of devices capable of evading or breaching technical measures of copyright protection". While everyone wants to see China improving its enforcement of IP rights, is this a step too far?"

Comments

Hey everyone, don't panic

[localroger]

Fortunately TFA doesn't say they have banned the production and export of devices that allow us to bypass DRM. Your supply of Chinese DVD players that can be hacked to skip the unskippable bits and disable Macrovision will not be affected.

Re:Karl Marx & Frederick Engels

[kfg]

They're really giving way to a new form of Communism that only seems to select and use the parts that are useful to them given the time and place.

This has always been the way of China. In the long haul they have always been social pragmatists.

You may not be so different yourself. Have you adopted Germanic pagan tree worship, or do you just put up a "Christmas" tree because you like to?

KFG

Re:Everyone?

[ThePhilips]

The real question has China any will to enforce the law? Would anyone there cooperate with RIAA/MPAA as much as they do in EU/US?

No doubt many (me included) see the passed law only as a step needed to please World Trade Organization.

Banning devices

[Alien54]

there's this bit:

banning "the production, import and supply of devices capable of evading or breaching technical measures of copyright protection".

Technically, wouldn't that ban the production, import and supply of computers? Note that it does not say "specifically designed"

This would open the door to all sorts of draconian enforcements of the law. This would fit the stereotype of a bureaucrat's paradise. I bet other countries are taking notes.