Online piracy contained, authorities say

Copyright infringement from online piracy has been effectively contained in China after a crackdown campaign this year, but the tougher monitoring should be continued, China's copyright watchdog said.

During a campaign to deter illegal streaming of unauthorized videos in June, 20 major video website operators were required by the National Copyright Administration to submit authorization documents for 2,374 films and television programs.

A total of 1,774 files were presented on time, and 1,117 of them were proved valid while the rest of the permits had expired or were faked.

About 63 percent of the authorizations passed the examination this year. The figure was only 34 percent in 2012 and 23 percent in 2011.

"The overall situation has been improved via the national scrutiny and punishment, but we still have to be alert for potential copyright infringement," said Duan Yuping, deputy inspector of copyright management of the National Copyright Administration.

A total of 1,881 websites carrying movies, TV series and music have been monitored by regional copyright supervisors since September, and 201 of them were closed for streaming unlicensed materials, according to the NCA.

Baidu Inc, China's largest search engine, was found guilty of copyright violation and ordered to pay 491,000 yuan ($81,000) to a leading online video provider, media reports said earlier this year.

The Beijing Haidian District People's Court ordered Baidu to pay Youku Tudou Inc for copyright infringement of 18 TV shows and other video content last week.