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China Seizes 13 Million Pirated Discs

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the everything's-bigger-in-china dept.

TechFreep writes "The Chinese government is waging a 100-day battle against software and media piracy, the largest such effort ever conducted. After launching the effort on July 15, Chinese police and copyright officials have raided 537,000 illegal publication markets and distributors in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Liaoning Province. Of these, government officials have closed down 8,907 shops and street vendors, 481 publishing companies and 942 illegal websites." This article in China Daily quotes vendors of legal media products gushing over their increased sales.

3 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Keep going... by MikeRT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is suicidal for America to not tie very strong IP enforcement to its trade agreements with countries like China. Most of what we produce domestically is IP from music to code to drug designs. We are at an inherent disadvantage then, if we allow them to dump tens of billions of dollars of cheap crap in our stores, but allow their locals to run wild with our IP.

    I don't like it, but that's just the way it is.

    If you want to reduce our dependency on IP and strong foreign IP laws, go start a manufacturing business that produces in America at rates that can replace China and Taiwan.

    Until then, I am glad to see China stepping things up, as it means we aren't getting shafted so badly anymore.

    1. Re:Keep going... by fuzznutz · · Score: 5, Insightful
      If you want to reduce our dependency on IP and strong foreign IP laws, go start a manufacturing business that produces in America at rates that can replace China and Taiwan.
      No problem. Can I sign you up to work for me for $3.00 a day?
    2. Re:Keep going... by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you want to reduce our dependency on IP and strong foreign IP laws, go start a manufacturing business...

      What America needs is an IP-manufacturing based economy, not a IP-distribution based economy.

      We need to start selling the service of creating IP directly instead of indirectly funding it by charging for distribution. Since distribution is essentially free, thanks to the net, and it's clearly impossible to compete with free, then we need a new system. Not legal protectionism that conflicts with one of the most key elements of human nature -- the desire to share knowledge.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.