The Chinese government has passed anew regulation to ban the uploading and downloading of Internet material without the copyright holder's permission.

Under the regulation, effective from July 1, anyone uploading texts, and performance, sound and video recordings to the Internet for downloading, copying or other use, must acquire the permission of the copyright owners and pay the required fee.

The production, import and supply of devices that are capable of evading or breaching technical measures of copyright protection and technical services are prohibited under the regulation.

The regulation was drawn up on the principle that it must balance the interests of copyright owners, Internet service providers and users of the copyrighted works, said an official with the Legal Affairs Office of the State Council.

China is the world's second-largest Internet market after the United States with more than 110 million users.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2006)