China has banned 50 illegal electronic games in a recent government probe into the electronic publication and software market.

As part of the effort to protect intellectual property rights and create a good environment for Chinese youth, the State General Administration of Press and Publication (SGAPP) together with the anti-porn and illegal publication offices, created a list of 50 illegal electronic games in a nationwide check-up on electronic publication and software markets.

Liu Binjie, deputy director of the administration and director of the state anti-porn office said here Wednesday that the Chinese government in 2005 will focus on combating illegal publications. This especially concerns pirated textbooks, electronic publications and illegal journals that will have negative influence on the youth.

Among the 50 illegal games, 26 are pirated game software including Age of Mythology: the Titans, The Sims 2, Manhunt, FIFA 2005, Battlefield Vietnam and Painkiller: Battle out of Hell. The remaining are illegally distributed foreign games including Conflict Vietnam, Vietcong: Fist Alpha and Devastation.

The administration has called for relevant departments across the country to clean up the electronic publication and software markets, confiscate any of the 50 games if found and hold the publishers, producers and distributors of these games accountable.

China, which first launched a campaign against pornographic and illegal publications in 1989, has been carrying it out for 16 years.