Chinese courts hit Net cafes

This article originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter.

Beijing courts promised heavier fines for Internet cafes that allow patrons to illegally download movies, laying down harsh fines for offenders, state-run media reported Thursday.

The new rulings are part of a trend toward greater enforcement of intellectual property rights in China.

The judge in the Beijing Internet cafe cases said that infringements occur in one of two ways: some outlets download movies without any authorization at all, while others sign service agreements with suppliers who falsely claim to have copyright authorization.

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