China’s Intellectual Property Administration has approved a controversial copyright measure that would ban online services from distributing copyrighted content and could force companies to pay royalties, the country’s state news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday.
China’s Communist Party’s Standing Committee approved the draft measure Tuesday, Xinhua said, adding it had been circulated to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC).
The copyright measure, known as the “three strikes” policy, is one of several measures China is considering to counter online piracy.
It was first proposed in April, when China’s Internet and Culture Ministry announced it was launching a “digital blacklist” of online platforms that violate copyright laws.
The measure also would ban distribution of “unfair or damaging” content on social media platforms and websites.
