China's major audio-video publishers and distributors have allied to form a join venture to facilitate EVD (Enhanced Versatile Disc) circulation, according to Zhang Baoquan, secretary-general of the EVD Industry Alliance.

The new company, which involves the Zoke Culture and the Antaeus Group, aims to promote the unprecedented home-grown EVD standard, and help pummel widespread copyright piracy.

The EVD formatted publishing rights, which is exclusively owned by the Antaeus Group originally, will be shared among the six firms that account for 80 percent of the audio-video market in China, Zhang said.

Nearly 20 leading Chinese manufactures jointly announced several days ago that they would stop making DVD players from 2008, replacing them with the next-generation players based on the self-innovated technology.

Retailer giant Gome will open 150 special areas in its outlets around the country to sell EVD players, Zhang said.