Pre-Expo cleanup aims at arts pirates

SHANGHAI'S Cultural Inspection Team said it has stepped up its efforts against pirated music, movies and other works in advance of the 2010 World Expo.

The team said it confiscated nearly 9 million pirated digital products by the end of September, compared with 6 million for the whole of last year.

"The sharp increase is caused by the shift of its working focus from retailer venues to wholesale and transportation groups," said Zhu Yaoren, deputy director of the team.

The team, launched a decade ago, goes after pirated products including DVDs, books, paintings, musical performances and other items.

Its fewer than 400 members must oversee more than 60,000 venues.

To maximize manpower, they are focusing less on individual retailers than on cutting off pirated products at the source.

Shanghai manufactures few of the illegal goods; most are carried into the city from southern China or overseas, Zhu said.

The team said it made 246 significant busts, each yielding more than 20,000 pirate CDs or videos and 5,000 books and magazines.