China appears to be making a show of its efforts to combat piracy according to Xinhua News Agency, though I think doing so before the US went to the WTO would have done it more good:
China launched a new nationwide crackdown on pornography and pirated tapes and DVDs on Saturday, setting fire to 42 million offending items, Xinhua news agency said.
It was the latest in a series of purges which have yet to show much effect in a country where fake designer goods and pirated Hollywood blockbusters can be bought for next to nothing on most street corners.
"Through the act of destruction, we wish to show to the world the firm determination of the Chinese government in protecting intellectual property," Xinhua quoted Long Xinmin, chief of the State Press and Publication Administration, as saying.
Of the items destroyed, smuggled and pirated audio/video, software, electronic publications made up 30 million, and pirated and illegally published books and magazines totaled 11 million.
