With an order given by Li Xiaojie, chief of publicity department
of Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China
(CPC), workers set fire to 1.06 million pirated audio and video
products, alongside other illegal publications in the suburbs of
Lanzhou, the provincial capital, on Saturday morning.
The torching of the contraband was part of a nationwide action
on Saturday to culminate China's spring campaign designed to clean
up pornography and crack down on illegal publications in the
country.
Altogether 42 million pieces of audio and video discs, and
illegal publications were destroyed in the country's 31 provinces,
autonomous regions and municipalities on Saturday morning,
according to Long Xinmin, chief of the State Press and Publication
Administration.
"Through the act of destruction, we wish to show to the world
the firm determination of the Chinese Government in protecting
intellectual property and being firm against any infringement of
intellectual property rights and piracy, and to improve the
awareness of the general public in fighting against pornography and
illegal publications," said Long at a special function organized in
Beijing to mark the start of the action.
Long also serves as chief of China National Copyright
Administration.
Jiang Zengwei, vice minister of commerce and also head of the
state working group for intellectual property protection, said
China had been making persistent efforts to protect IPR to meet the
needs for its own development rather than from pressure from
abroad.
Out of the missive number of illegal publications destroyed on
Saturday, smuggled and pirated audio, video, software, electronic
publications made up 30 million, and pirated and illegally
published books and magazines totaled 11 million.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2007)