China Strengthens Use of Authorized Software among Government Organs

The State Council of the PRC issued on 18 October 2010 a Notice requiring central and local government organs at all levels to take specific steps to strengthen the use of authorized software by prescribed deadlines.

The Notice specifies that:

The person in-charge of each government department at all levels shall act as the primary person to administer and supervise the use of authorized software within the department he is responsible for.
Government organs at all levels, when purchasing computers as office equipment, shall make sure that the computers comply with the requirements of pre-installation for authorized operating system and office software; and all entities shall use authorized products when updating the operating system and office software on their computers.
Government organs at all levels are required to carry out an ad hoc inspection focusing on the use of office application software and anti-virus software within their own entities. Daily supervision and inspection on the use of authorized software shall be conducted by press and publication departments (copyright departments) in coordination with industry and information technology departments, finance departments, and other relevant departments. In addition, the General Administration of Press and Publication (National Administration of Copyright) shall work with relevant departments to conduct annual inspections and report its observations to the State Council.
The ad hoc inspection and the adherence to the use of authorized software shall be completed by the end of May 2011 for the central government organs, and by the end of October 2011 for the government organs at provincial, prefectural city and county levels.

Actually, the promotion of the use of authorized software across government organs by the State Council dates back to 2001. By now, the goal of using authorized software at government organs of central, provincial, and prefectural city levels has basically been achieved. This Notice aims at further strengthening the use of authorized software by extending the requirement to government organs at county level. According to the timeline of the Notice, the goal of using authorized software by government organs at central, provincial, prefectural city and county levels is to be attained by the end of October 2011.