The Ministry of Culture on Saturday launched a seasonal campaign to rectify Internet cafes and crack down on pirated audio-video products ahead of schools' summer break.

 

"The focus of Internet cafe surveillance is to prevent the entry of kids under the age of 18," said a source with the ministry, adding that the check on Internet cafes will be carried out for seven days a week.

 

Internet cafes, if found receiving underage clients twice or accepting more than three underage clients at a time, will be forced to shut down for at least 15 days, the ministry said.

 

The cafes will be revoked of their business licenses and cut off Internet connection, if they are found receiving the underage for three times, or receiving more than eight kids at a time, according to the ministry.

 

The ministry on Saturday also ordered intensive crack-down on the selling and renting of pirated audio-video products. The cultural departments at various levels were told to shut down shops that have more than 100 pirated discs and to confiscate all pirated discs and illegitimate gains.

 

Shop owners will be imposed a fine 10 times its illegal business turnover, if their pirated discs have been sold for more than 10,000 yuan (US$1,250).

 

China's schools, ranging from kindergartens to universities, will have a summer vacation for one or two months, usually starting from early July. The campaign is expected to end after students return to schools.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2006)