China and the United States on Wednesday signed a memorandum to establish a mechanism to protect film copyrights, a source with the Chinese Ministry of Culture (MOC) said.

The memorandum was signed by the MOC, China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the American Cinema Association (ACA), a senior official with the MOC said. The three organizations, through joint committees, will exchange information on film and family video products, and conduct research into and work together to combat piracy.

The memorandum also strengthened communication channels and information sharing between governments and copyright holders, the MOC official indicated. Under the memorandum, the ACA will submit, every three months, to the Chinese government specific information on the films produced by its member companies. In turn, the Chinese government will work towards preventing the pirating of those films.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2005)