City starts crackdown on piracy

Beijing will launch a citywide campaign to fight piracy and copyright infringement so as to ensure a healthy environment for the upcoming 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, a Beijing official said on March 19.

Led by the Cultural Law Enforcement Agency (CLEA), the campaign "will involve a thorough inspection of publications sold in bookstores, music stores and wholesale markets, as well as a crackdown on street peddlers selling illegal or pirated products," said Zhao Anliang, head of the CLEA, at the mobilization meeting on March 19.

According to Zhao, pirated audio and video publications and pirated products associated with the Shanghai World Expo will be the main focus of the campaign.