MIIT releases draft rules which govern antitrust issues

Partly driven by the QQ-360 disputes (see our article entitled " The QQ / 360 Disputes - Who, What, Where, When and Preliminary Antitrust Analysis"), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology  (MIIT) released the Interim Rules for Supervision and Management of Internet Information Service Market (Draft for Comment) (Draft Rules), on 12 January 2011.

The objective of the Draft Rules is to safeguard the competitive environment in relation to the internet information service industry, and to safeguard consumers' interests. Broadly, the Draft Rules sets out the code of conduct for internet information service providers (IISP), and dispute resolution mechanisms. 

The code of conduct section prohibits unfair competition between IISPs.  The code of conduct also governs conducts which infringe subscribers' right to know certain information and right to choose IISPs.  Some articles in the Draft Rules are similar to the provisions of the Anti-Unfair Competition