Obama and Steve Ballmer require Hu Jintao to strengthen copyright enforcement

China was pressed by US President Barack Obama and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to strengthen their policies directed to implement intellectual property rights across the country. Ballmer met with Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday at the White House to address the issue.

"So we were just in a meeting with business leaders, and Steve Ballmer of Microsoft pointed out that their estimate is that only one customer in every 10 of their products is actually paying for it in China," Obama told a news conference in Washington.

Obama indicated that Hu had agreed to take action.

"I appreciate his willingness to take new steps to combat the theft of intellectual property," the U.S. president said.

Being pressed by foreign business leaders over the last decade China has been periodically arresting the makers and seller of fake DVDs and CDs. Some discs, often sold on street corners or in public markets, are Microsoft operating systems sold at fractions of the market price. Other fake discs are sold online.

Ballmer himself weighed in at the meeting between the two presidents and U.S. business leaders, according to statement on Microsoft's blog.

"At the meeting, Ballmer highlighted the importance of intellectual property, or IP, to the future success and economic development of both countries, and noted the serious IP piracy problems that currently exist in China," the statement said.