Rumor: GAPP to Centralize Domestic Game Approval
Sohu IT, 1/07/10
According to informed sources, China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) has already sent a notification concerning changes in the approval process for online games to provincial-level Copyright Bureaus. According to the notice, GAPP is currently preparing to release regulations concerning a standardized approval process for domestically-produced games.
The standards are designed to fill in gaps in the existing laws and regulations. The source said that the new standards will radically change the game approval process. Currently, provincial-level Press and Publication Bureaus handle the approval process and issue registration numbers, while the central GAPP only manages filing. However, after the new regulations are released, the issuing of registration numbers and the maintenance of registration files for domestic game producers will be handled by GAPP, and local-level Press and Publication Bureaus will not have the right to issue registration numbers.
The new domestic game approval process standards will be modeled after the approval process for online games produced by foreign entities and licensed in China. According to GAPP regulations, to request approval for an imported online product, the online publishing organization or electronic publishing organization must submit an application to the province, autonomous region, or municipality's Press and Publication Bureau for their jurisdiction. Once that application has been approved, it must then be submitted to GAPP. After inspecting the product, GAPP will make a final decision whether or not to approve the application. The application's validity is 80 days from the day that the application was submitted.
China's Ministry of Culture (MoC) is also currently drafting comprehensive regulations for online games. Informed sources have revealed that these regulations will be released in January, and will increase the barriers to entry for online game developers and operators. MoC spokespeople say that the regulations are still under discussion, and that a release date has not been officially determined.
Keywords: Internet Ministry of Culture GAPP online gaming regulation
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