Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Sony has begun shipping personal computers equipped with the Chinese-government mandated filtering software days before the July 1 deadline. Shipments of the PCs equipped with Green Dam software also include a disclaimer that Sony is not responsible for damage from the software, according to a University of Hong Kong journalism professor and blogger, Rebecca MacKinnon.

She posted a photo of the disclaimer, which says Sony is not responsible for the authenticity, legality and functionality of the Green Dam software. Sony also said the software does not work with a 64-bit operating system.

Chinese Web surfers are being asked to stay off the Internet on July 1 to protest the Chinese government's demand that blocking software Green Dam Youth Escort be installed on all PCs sold in China.

That is the date the software filter sold by Jinhui Computer System Engineering is due to debut. All PCs sold in China on and after this date must have the software. It's also the anniversary date of the founding of the Communist Party in China.

China may be open to the Olympics, but it has shut off access to Apple's iTunes Store -- apparently because of a new album dedicated to Tibet. According to the album's sponsoring organization, more than 40 Olympic athletes from North America, Europe and China downloaded it "as an act of solidarity with Tibet" before the shutdown.