As more people put their work onto web pages, the Chinese authorities draft Internet copyright regulations.

They will formally issue the new regulations by the end of the year, with the aim to prevent illegal downloading.

Over all, about 100 million songs have been put on the Internet, and some 45 percent of web users worldwide download music everyday, while 37 percent of them download video products including film and TV series. They usually log onto the related web site by doing online search. However, most web sites that provide free downloads do not pay copyright loyalties to the creators.

Vice President of Sohu.com Wang Jianjun said: "In technical aspect, the online search engines can not recognize whether a web site has paid copyrights for the video or music product."

Commissioner of Advisory Committee for State Information Gao Xinmin said: "On one hand, we should take advantage of the website's characteristics of being free to communicate and exchange. On the other hand, we should protect the interest of the music writers and producers. It is not easy to find a balance."

Insiders say that the government should supervise the Internet downloading process, and penalize the ones that violate the new copyright rules.

(CCTV.com September 5, 2005)