China expected to bar all foreign media companies from publishing ‘creative works’ online
Foreign firms and their joint ventures likely won’t be allowed to post games, animation, comics, audio recordings and video after new regulation takes effect next month
China is embarking on an aggressive new campaign that would bar all foreign media companies and joint ventures in the country from directly publishing their content online.
The “Regulation for the Management of Online Publishing Services”, which was announced on February 13, is expected to put more stringent rules in force over the online publication of original or adapted “creative works”, such as images, games, animation, comics, audio recordings and video.
This new initiative to tighten the central government’s control over internet content is scheduled to take effect next month.
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These new rules will replace the “Temporary Regulation on the Management of Online Publishing”, which took effect in 2001 soon after China joined World Trade Organisation (WTO) that same year.
The current regulation allows licensed foreign joint ventures on the mainland to publish original and adapted creative works online.
“This is all part of China’s campaign to tighten control of the internet,” said Fu King-wa, an associate professor for journalism in the University of Hong Kong.
“I am not surprised about this new regulation at all.”
This is all part of China’s campaign to tighten control of the internet