p2p news / p2pnet: China has cracked 172 “wet piracy” cases and closed down 76 sites in a three-month crackdown, says state news agency Xinhua, quoting the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC).

Could ‘wet’ piracy possibly be ‘web piracy,’ do you think? Or has China started on pirates as they once were before the Big Four record labels shanghaied the word because it’s so much sexier than ‘counterfeit’?

Meanwhile, 137 sites were ordered to deleted "illegal contents" and the owners of 29 other sites were, "punished with a total fine of 789,000 yuan (about $98,625),” says the story, going on:

"The move was launched jointly by the Ministry of Public Security, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Information Industry as well as other relevant departments since September 2005."

And, adds Xinhua, "Great headway has been made in the municipalities and provinces of Beijing, Hainan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Shandong and Guangdong in the crackdown on wet piracy."

Eight of the cases suspected of criminal offence have been handed over to the judicial departments for criminal investigation, the NCAC said.

Expect a ‘Well done, China’ statement from MPAAA (Motion Picture Associaitin of America) boss Dan ‘Jedi’ Glickman.

Also See:
Xinhua – China effective in crackdown on web piracy, February 5, 2006

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Download it here and feel free to copy the zip and host it yourself so others can download it.

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