The General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) of China recently released the country's first regulation to guide the development of the e-books industry.
The regulation defines the 'e-book' as digital content that is formatted as print, images, audio and video, and is downloaded via the Internet and read on handheld devices such as the Apple iPad or the Amazon Kindle.
The regulation is designed to improve the development of the industry by instituting an admittance system. It was released by a panel of experts drawn by the GAPP after seven months of research. The panel believes the benefits of e-books will become more obvious when traditional publishers form tie-ups with digital publishers.
The regulation has outlined tasks for the promotion of the e-book industry. Further, it states that the government will support traditional publishers as they make the transition to e-publishing.
As in Europe and the US, the Chinese market is yet to agree on a single format for e-books. This is seen to be problematic for both publishers and readers. Currently, there are over 20 different types of e-book formats, which are compatible with different reading devices operating in China.
According to industry insiders, digital publishers are required to obtain permission to publish online. However, most are unaware of the requirement. The GAPP regulation has been introduced to address the disorder among hardware and software providers operating in the e-books sphere.
To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.
