After about 5 weeks of downtime, Chinese video sharing site 56.com is back up and running. The site is often referred to as a Chinese version of YouTube. But unlike YouTube, 56.com and similar sites like Toudou and Youku don't impose 10 minute limits on uploaded videos. And that makes them a haven for illegally uploaded videos including full-length movies and TV episodes.

Some folks had wondered if the fact hat 56.com was down for over a month was an indication that the Chinese government had cracked down on the site, which didn't have an official video license. There's no real explanation for why the site was down for so long or why it's back now. During its downtime, the web site featured a message about a server upgrade. But that's not the kind of thing that typically takes 5 weeks.

If 56.com were in any country but China, we'd expect the MPAA and RIAA and similar organizations to put pressure on the company to remove copyrighted materials. But China doesn't have a very strong record of enforcing Western copyright laws.

[via Silicon Alley Insider]