China’s central government departments to ban the use of unauthorized software by May

In order to ensure that China’s central government departments can ban the use of unauthorized software before May, 2011, according to work plans and requirements from the State Council, the office of the special campaign on cracking down upon intellectual property infringement and manufacture and sales of counterfeit and shoddy commodities, the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) (the National Copyright Administration(NCAC)), the Government Offices Administration of the State Council (GOASC) and the Administration Bureau for Organs Directly under the Authority of the CPC Central Committee jointly convened a conference on the promotion of genuine software in  central government departments on February 21 and reported the progress of work and proposed the requirements for the next phase of work. Officials from 146 central government departments attended the meeting.

According to requirements of the State Council, the central government departments and local governments should complete the investigation and rectification on usage of unauthorized software before the end of May and October this year respectively. Until February 15, 37 units including the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the General Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Finance, theMinistry of Commerce, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce(SAIC), GAPP (NCAC), the State Intellectual Property Office, GOASC and the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council have completed the required work. Investigations on usage of software in every department under the State Council have almost been completed; organs directly under the authority of the CPC Central Committee have planned to finish the investigation soon; the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC） and democratic parties have been promoting this investigation. From October 2010 to February 10, 2011, the central government departments have purchased 53915 sets of genuine software with the total value of 41.43 million yuan.
The conference proposed specific requirements on schedule and work to departments under the State Council, departments directly under the authority of the CaPC Central Committee, the NPC, the CPPCC, democratic parties, social organizations and other relevant units and requested the establishment of software assets management systems and a long-term mechanism to guarantee the usage of genuine software.

From March, GAPP (NCAC) will combine force with other relevant departments to supervise the work progress on the use of genuine software in the central government departments and local governments.