[Infowarrior] - China Limits Providers of Internet Video

[Richard Forno]

China Limits Providers of Internet Video
Thursday January 3, 7:54 am ET
By Min Lee, AP Entertainment Writer
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080103/china_internet_video.html?.v=7

HONG KONG (AP) -- China has decided to restrict the broadcasting of Internet
videos -- including those posted on video-sharing Web sites -- to sites run
by state-controlled companies and require providers to report questionable
content to the government.

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It wasn't immediately clear how the new rules would affect YouTube and other
providers of Internet video that host Web sites available in China but are
based in other countries.

The new regulations, which take effect Jan. 31, were approved by both the
State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the Ministry of
Information Industry and were described on their Web sites Thursday.

Under the new policy, Web sites that provide video programming or allow
users to upload video must obtain government permits and applicants must be
either state-owned or state-controlled companies.

The majority of Internet video providers in China are private, according to
an explanation of the regulations posted on Chinafilm.com, which is run by
the state-run China Film Group.

The policy will ban providers from broadcasting video that involves national
secrets, hurts the reputation of China, disrupts social stability or
promotes pornography. Providers will be required to delete and report such
content.

"Those who provide Internet video services should insist on serving the
people, serve socialism ... and abide by the moral code of socialism," the
rules say.

The permits are subject to renewal every three years and operators who
commit "major" violations may be banned from providing online video
programming for five years.

The status of sites such as YouTube, a popular video-sharing site, remains
in question. San Bruno, Calif.-based YouTube is available in China and runs
a Chinese-language Web site, but it wasn't immediately clear if any of its
computer servers are located in China.

YouTube LLC, a subsidiary of Google Inc., didn't immediately respond to an
e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Tudou.com, which claims to be China's largest video sharing Web site, also
didn't immediately respond to an e-mail requesting comment.

The effect of Chinese laws on American Internet companies operating in the
country recently came under the spotlight as two Chinese journalists were
jailed after Yahoo Inc. provided Chinese authorities with information about
their online activities. Both journalists are serving 10-year prison
sentences.

In November, Yahoo settled a lawsuit, agreeing to pay the attorneys' fees of
the journalists. Yahoo also said it would "provide financial, humanitarian
and legal support to these families." No other details of the settlement
were disclosed.