China Copyright Law: We Need to Talk

Copyright is an essential part of any substantive IP protection plan in China, but many companies fail to take an extremely important step: registering their copyrights in China. One of the most common misconceptions our China lawyers frequently hear is that copyright registration in China is optional, because you do not have to file anything to have a valid copyright in China.

Like so many China misconceptions, this one has an element of truth to it. As a signatory to the Berne Convention, China has the same basic definition of what is protected under copyright as the 171 other Convention parties: an original creative work that exists in a fixed medium. A “creative work” could be anything from a video game, song, or toy to a database, map, or product design. A songwriter in Nashville, a programmer in Auckland, a furniture designer in Helsinki: all of their creative works are protected by copyright at the time they complete the work in question, and that copyright is just as valid in China as it is in the U.S., New Zealand, and Finland. But there’s a big difference between having a valid copyright in China and having an enforceable copyright in China.

In most situations, the key issue is one of proof. A copyright registration in China is presumptive evidence of ownership, and in some situations it’s the only evidence that is acceptable. Whether you’re trying to take down an infringing video on Youku Tudou or an infringing photograph of your product on Alibaba, have counterfeit dolls seized at Customs, or sue a publisher who is selling your book without permission, a certificate issued by the Copyright Protection Centre of China (CPCC) is the easiest and most efficient way to enforce your rights. And copyright registration is almost always a prerequisite to getting royalty payments from Chinese entities that have licensed copyrighted material.

Meanwhile, if you are trying to prove ownership of a creative work and you don’t have a Chinese copyright registration, it could take weeks or even months – and that assumes a clear, well-documented chain of title. If you’re at the point where you need to enforce a copyright to stop infringement, it’s almost certainly going to be time-sensitive.

China’s copyright registration process is fairly straightforward, and it does not involve substantive examination at the time of registration, but it usually takes a couple months to receive a copyright certificate. In our experience, when our clients have China copyright certificates we usually secure takedowns of infringing materials relatively quickly and easily. But without a copyright certificate, takedowns take considerably longer and sometimes they do not happen at all.

Don’t get caught flat-footed. If you have copyrightable IP that you want to protect in China, register it with the CPCC. Now.

We will be discussing the practical aspects of Chinese law and how it impacts business there. We will be telling you what works and what does not and what you as a businessperson can do to use the law to your advantage. Our aim is to assist businesses already in China or planning to go into China, not to break new ground in legal theory or policy.