China is tightening control over its online music and game industries, and is now ordering distributors to submit all imported products for approval by official censors, the Chinese Ministry of Culture said today.
Some major points:
— Operators of online music services with imported content to obtain government approval, including licensing as an Internet Content Provider.
— While they are meant to stem the nation’s rampant Internet music piracy, they will also likely make it harder to distribute any music government censors judge to be indecent or improper.
Under these rules, Internet companies that want to make imported songs available on their Web sites must submit them to the ministry along with lyrics in both Chinese and the original language
— The music controls are also meant to encourage growth of a “civilized and healthy” Internet and to protect Chinese companies that have lost market share to foreign rivals, the Ministry said.
— The guidelines also ban the establishment of foreign-funded network music firms (Really? Does that mean all VC investment into Chinese digital music goes away? Not sure.)
— The rules apply to websites and mobile phone companies that distribute music.
— In online games, distributors must obtain approval to release imported titles and must file monthly reports confirming that operators haven’t added forbidden content.
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