China's video websites forced to adjust to tighter regulations
Amid fears of even more censorship, some welcome better IP protection
China has the world's largest audience for online video content. It is also home to a sizeable internet police force, ready to delete content the state deems objectionable.
The tightening of China's internet regulations, already among the most restrictive in the world, has mainland web portals that host crowd-sourced videos and television content scrambling to meet new requirements.
The State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT), the media watchdog, in late January issued rules requiring video-sharing websites to censor uploaded content and institute a "real name" policy, ending the practice of posting short videos anonymously or under pseudonyms.
Yesterday was World Intellectual Property Day, a celebration of the role of IP in "stimulating creativity and innovation", according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, a Geneva-based group that works to increase IP awareness.
The restriction has heightened anxiety among the legions of mainland Chinese who have turned to the internet for entertainment.
Early this month, many expressed fears that the SARFT intends to apply the restrictions to popular US television serials such as The Walking Dead and Masters of Sex, programmes that feature gore and sexual themes the regulator deems offensive.