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A staff member demonstrates a terminal machine in the Internet court in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 18, 2017. The court, first of its kind in China, specializing in handling Internet-related cases, opened Friday to cater to the increasing number of online trade disputes and copyright lawsuits. The cases handled by the court will be tried online. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang) HANGZHOU, Aug. 18-- China's first court specializing in handling Internet-related cases opened Friday in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, to cater to the increasing number of online disputes. The Hangzhou Internet Court heard its first case regarding a copyright infringement between an online writer and internet giant Netease on its opening day. Sitting in front of their computers in Hangzhou and Beijing, the agents representing the plaintiff and the defendant communicated with the judge online. The trial lasted about 20 minutes. "The Internet court breaks geographic boundaries and greatly saves time in traditional hearings," said Wang Jiangqiao, vice president of the court. The court mainly handles civil cases such as contract disputes involving online shopping, service and small loans, copyright and infringement lawsuits, domain name dispute, Internet defaming and some administrative lawsuits. It will also handle certain cases assigned by superior courts. By registering on court's website, plaintiffs can file lawsuits and pay legal costs. The cases handled by the court will be tried online. The process is quicker, and plaintiffs and defendants can have their disputes handled while at home and at much lower cost. | 
