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Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China |
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(Adopted at the Fifteenth Session of the Standing Committee of the
Seventh National People's Congress on 7 September 1990, and revised in
accordance with the Decision on the Amendment of the Copyright Law of
the People's Republic of China adopted at the 24th Session of the
Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on 27 October
2001.)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is enacted, in accordance with the Constitution, for
the purposes of protecting the copyright of authors in their literary,
artistic and scientific works and the copyright-related rights and
interests, of encouraging the creation and dissemination of works which
would contribute to the construction of socialist spiritual and material
civilization, and of promoting the development and prosperity of the
socialist culture and science.
Article 2 Works of Chinese citizens, legal entities or other
organizations, whether published or not, shall enjoy copyright in
accordance with this Law.
Any work of a foreigner or stateless person which is eligible to
enjoy copyright under an agreement concluded between the country to
which the foreigner belongs or in which he has habitual residence and
China, or under an internationa1 treaty to which both countries are
party, shall be protected in accordance with this Law.
Works of foreigners or stateless persons first published in the
territory of the People's Republic of China shall enjoy copyright in
accordance with this Law.
Any work of a foreigner who belongs to a country which has not
concluded an agreement with China, or which is not a party to an
international treaty with China or a stateless person first published in
an country which is a party to an international treaty with China, or in
such a member state or nonmember state, shall be protected in accordance
with this Law.
Article 3 For the purposes of this Law, the term "works" includes works
of literature, art, natural science, social science, engineering
technology and the like which are expressed in the following forms:
(1) written works;
(2) oral works;
(3) musical, dramatic, quyi', choreographic and acrobatic works;
(4) works of fine art and architecture;
(5) photographic works;
(6) cinematographic works and works created by virtue of an analogous
method of film production;
(7) drawings of engineering designs, and product designs; maps,
sketches and other graphic works and model works;
(8) computer software;
(9) other works as provided for in laws and administrative
regulations.
Article 4 Works the publication or distribution of which is prohibited
by law shall not be protected by this Law.
Copyright owners, in exercising their copyright, shall not violate
the Constitution or laws or prejudice the public interests.
Article 5 This Law shal1 not be applicable to:
(l) laws; regulations; resolutions, decisions and orders of State
organs; other documents of a legislative, administrative or judicial
nature; and their official translations;
(2) news on current affairs; and
(3) calendars, numerical tables and forms of general use, and
formulas.
Article 6 Regulations for the protection of copyright in expressions of
folklore shall be established separately by the State Council.
Article 7 The copyright administration department under the State
Council shall be responsible for the nationwide administration of
copyright. The copyright administration department of the People's
Government of each province, autonomous region and municipality directly
under the Central Government shall be responsible for the administration
of copyright in its administrative region.
Article 8 The copyright owners and copyright-related right holders may
authorize an organization for collective administration of copyright to
exercise the copyright or any copyright-related right. After
authorization, the organization for collective administration of
copyright may, in its own name, claim the right for the copyright owners
and copyright-related right holders, and participate, as an interested
party, in litigation or arbitration relating to the copyright or
copyright-related right.
The organization for collective administration of copyright is a
non-profit organization. Provisions for the mode of its establishment,
rights and obligations, collection and distribution of the royalties of
copyright licensing, and supervision and administration thereof shall be
separately established by the State Council.
Chapter II Copyright
Section 1 Copyright Owners and Their Right
Article 9 The term "copyright owners" shall include:
(1) authors;
(2) other citizens, legal entities and other organizations enjoying
copyright in accordance with this Law.
Article 10 The term "copyright" shall include the following personality
rights and property rights:
(l) the right of publication, that is, the right to decide whether to
make a work available to the public;
(2) the right of authorship, that is, the right to claim authorship
and to have the author's name mentioned in connection with the work;
(3) the right of alteration, that is, the right to alter or authorize
others to alter one's work;
(4) the right of integrity, that is, the right to protect one's work
against distortion and mutilation;
(5) the right of reproduction, that is, the right to produce one or
more copies of a work by printing, photocopying, lithographing, making a
sound recording or video recording, duplicating a recording, or
duplicating a photographic work or by any other means;
(6) the right of distribution, that is, the right to make available to
the public the original or reproductions of a work though sale or other
transfer of ownership;
(7) the right of rental, that is, the right to authorize, with
payment, others to temporarily use cinematographic works, works created
by virtue of an analogous method of film production, and computer
software, except any computer software that is not the main subject
matter of rental;
(8) the right of exhibition, that is, the right to publicly display
the original or reproduction of a work of fine art and photography;
(9) the right of performance, that is, the right to publicly perform a
work and publicly broadcast the performance of a work by various means;
(10) the right of showing, that is, the right to show to the public a
work, of fine art, photography, cinematography and any work created by
analogous methods of film production through film projectors, over-head
projectors or any other technical devices;
(11) the right of broadcast, that is, the right to publicly broadcast
or communicate to the public a work by wireless means, to communicate to
the public a broadcast work by wire or relay means, and to communicate
to the public a broadcast work by a loudspeaker or by any other
analogous tool used to transmit symbols, sounds or pictures;
(12) the right of communication of information on networks, that is,
the right to communicate to the public a work, by wire or wireless means
in such a way that members of the public may access these works from a
place and at a time individually chosen by them;
(13) the right of making cinematographic work, that is, the right to
fixate a work on a carrier by way of film production or by virtue of an
analogous method of film production;
(14) the right of adaptation, that is, the right to change a work to
create a new work of originality;
(15) the right of translation, that is, the right to translate a work
in one language into one in another language;
(16) the right of compilation, that is, the right to compile works or
parts of works into a new work by reason of the selection or
arrangement; and
(17) any other rights a copyright owner is entitled to enjoy.
A copyright owner may authorize another person to exercise the
rights under the preceding paragraphs (5) to (17), and receive
remuneration pursuant to an agreement or this Law.
A copyright owner may assign, in part or in whole, the rights under
the preceding paragraphs (5) to (17), and receive remuneration pursuant
to an agreement or this Law.
Section 2 Ownership of Copyright
Article 11 Except where otherwise provided in this Law, the copyright in
a work shall belong to its author.
The author of a work is the citizen who has created the Work.
Where a work is created according to the intention and under the
supervision and responsibility of a legal entity or other organization,
such legal entity or organization shall be deemed to be the author of
the work.
The citizen, legal entity or other organization whose name is
mentioned in connection with a work shall, in the absence of proof to
the contrary, be deemed to be the author of the work.
Article 12 Where a work is created by adaptation, translation,
annotation or arrangement of a preexisting work, the copyright in the
work thus created shall be enjoyed by the adapter, translator, annotator
or arranger, Provided that the exercise of such copyright shall not
prejudice the copyright in the original work.
Article 13 Where a work is created jointly by two or more co-authors,
the copyright in the work shall be enjoyed jointly by those co-authors.
Co-authorship may not be claimed by anyone who has not participated in
the creation of the work.
If a work of joint authorship can be separated into independent
parts and exploited separately, each co-author shall be entitled to
independent copyright in the parts that he has created, provided that
the exercise of such copyright shall not prejudice the copyright in the
joint work as a whole.
Article 14 A work created by compilation of several works, parts of
works, data that do not constitute a work or other materials and having
originality in the selection or arrangement of its contents is a work of
compilation. The copyright in a work of compilation shall be enjoyed by
the compiler, provided that the exercise of such copyright shall not
prejudice the copyright in the preexisting works.
Article 15 The copyright in a cinematographic work and any work created
by an analogous method of fl1m production shall be enjoyed by the
producer of the work, but the scriptwriter, director, cameraman,
lyricist, composer, and other authors thereof shall enjoy the right of
authorship in the work, and have the right to receive remuneration
pursuant to the contract concluded with the producer.
The authors of the screenplay, musical works and other works that
are incorporated in a cinematographic work and work created by virtue of
an analogous method of film production and can be exploited separately
shall be entitled to exercise their copyright independently.
Article 16 A work created by a citizen in the fulfillment of tasks
assigned to him by a legal entity or other organization shall be deemed
to be a work created in the course of employment. The copyright in such
work shall be enjoyed by the author, subject to the provisions of the
second paragraph of this Article, provided that the legal entity or
other organization shall have a priority right to exploit the work
within the scope of its professional activities. During the two years
after the completion of the work, the author shall not, without the
consent of the legal entity or other organization, authorize a third
party to exploit the work in the same way as the legal entity or other
organization does.
In any of the following cases the author of a work created in the
course of employment shall enjoy the right of authorship, while the
legal entity or other organization shall enjoy the other rights included
in the copyright and may reward the author:
(1) drawings of engineering designs and product designs and maps,
computer software and other works created in the course of employment
mainly with the material and technical resource of the legal entity or
other organization and under its responsibility;
(2) works created in the course of employment where the copyright is,
in accordance with laws, administrative regulations or contracts,
enjoyed by the legal entity or other organization.
Article 17 The ownership of the copyright in a commissioned work shall
be agreed upon in a contract between the commissioning and the
commissioned parties. In the absence of a contract or of an explicit
agreement in the contract, the copyright in such a work shall belong to
the commissioned party.
Article 18 The transfer of ownership of the original copy of a work of
fine art, or other works, shall not be deemed to include the transfer of
the copyright in such work, provided that the right to exhibit the
original copy of a work of fine art shall be enjoyed by the owner of
such original copy.
Article 19 Where the copyright in a work belongs to a citizen, the right
of exploitation and the rights under Article 10, paragraphs (5) to (17),
of this Law in respect of the work shall, after his death, during the
term of protection provided for in this Law, be transferred in
accordance with the provisions of the Inheritance Law.
Where the copyright in a work belongs to a legal entity or other
organization, the rights under Articles l0, paragraphs (5) to (l7), of
this Law, shall, after the change or the termination of the status of
the legal entity or other organization, during the term of protection
provided for in this Law, be enjoyed by the succeeding legal entity or
other organization which has taken over the former's rights and
obligations, or, in the absence of such successor entity or other
organization, by the State.
Section 3 Term of Protection for Rights
Article 20 The rights of authorship, alteration and integrity of an
author shall be unlimited in time.
Article 21 The term of protection for the right of publication and the
rights referred to in Article l0, paragraphs (5) to (17), of this Law in
respect of a work of a citizen shall be the lifetime of the author and
fifty years after his death, and expires on 31 December of the fiftieth
year after the death of the author. In the case of a work of joint
authorship, such term shall expire on 31 December of the fiftieth year
after the death of the last surviving author.
The term of protection for the right of publication and the rights
provided for in Article 10, paragraphs (5) to (17), of this Law in
respect of a work where the copyright belongs to a legal entity or other
organization or in respect of a work created in the course of employment
where the legal entity or other organization enjoys the copyright
(except the right of authorship), shall be fifty years, and expires on
31 December of the fiftieth year after the first Publication of such
work, provided that any such work that has not been published within
t1tty years after the completion of its creation shall no longer be
protected under this Law.
The term of protection for the right of publication or protection
for the right of publication or the rights referred to in Article l0,
paragraphs (5) to (17), of this Law in respect of a cinematographic
work, a work created by virtue of an analogous method of film production
or a photographic work shall be fifty years, and expires on 3l December
of the fiftieth year after the first publication of such work, provided
that any such work that has not been published within fifty years after
the completion of its creation shall no longer be protected under this
Law.
Section 4 Limitations on Rights
Article 22 In the following cases, a work may be exploited without
permission from, and without payment of remuneration to, the copyright
owner, provided that the name of the author and the title of the work
shall be mentioned and the other rights enjoyed by the copyright owner
by virtue of this Law shall not be prejudiced:
(l) use of a published work for the purposes of the user's own private
study, research or self-entertainment;
(2) appropriate quotation from a published work in one's own work for
the purposes of introduction to, or comments on, a work, or
demonstration of a point;
(3) reuse or citation, for any unavoidable reason, of a published work
in newspapers, periodicals, at radio stations, television stations or
any other media for the purpose of reporting current events;
(4) reprinting by newspapers or periodicals, or rebroadcasting by
radio stations, television stations, or any other media, of articles on
current issues relating to politics, economics or religion published by
other newspapers, periodicals, or broadcast by other radio stations,
television stations or any other media except where the author has
declared that the reprinting and rebroadcasting is not permitted;
(5) publication in newspapers or periodicals, or broadcasting by radio
stations, television stations or any other media, of a speech delivered
at a public gathering, except where the author has declared that the
publication or broadcasting is not permitted;
(6) translation, or reproduction in a small quantity of copies, of a
published work for use by teachers or scientific researchers, in
classroom teaching or scientific research, provided that the translation
or reproduction shall not be published or distributed;
(7) use of a published work, within proper scope, by a State organ for
the purpose of fulfilling its official duties;
(8) reproduction of a work in its collections by a library, archive,
memorial hall, museum, art gallery or any similar institution, for the
purposes of the display, or preservation of a copy, of the work;
(9) free-of-charge live performance of a published work and said
performance neither collects any fees from the members of the public nor
pays remuneration to the performers;
(10) copying, drawing, photographing or video recording of an artistic
work located or on display in an outdoor public place;
(11) translation of a published work of a Chinese citizen, legal
entity or any other organization from the Han language into any minority
nationality language for publication and distribution within the
country; and
(12) transliteration of a published work into Braille and publication
of the work so transliterated.
The above limitations on rights shall be applicable also to the
rights of publishers, performers, producers of sound recordings and
video recordings, radio stations and television stations.
Article 23 In compiling and publishing textbooks for implementing the
nine-year compulsory education and the national educational program,
parts of published works, short written works, music works or single
copies of works of painting or photographic works may be compiled into
textbooks without the authorization from the authors, except where the
authors have declared in advance the use thereof is not permitted, with
remuneration paid according to the regulations, the name of the author
and the title of the work indicated and without prejudice to other
rights enjoyed by the copyright owners according to this Law.
The above limitations on rights shall be applicable also to the
rights of publishers, performers, producers of sound recordings and
video recordings, radio stations and television stations.
Chapter III Copyright Licensing and Assignment Contracts
Article 24 Subject to provisions in this Law according to which no
permission is needed, anyone who exploits a work created by others shall
conclude a contract with, or otherwise obtain permission from, the
copyright owner.
A licensing contract shall include the following basic clauses:
(l) the category of right licensed for exploitation of the work
covered by the license;
(2) the exclusive or non-exclusive nature of the right to exploit
the work covered by the license;
(3) the geographic area and term of the license;
(4) the standard of remuneration and the method of payment;'
(5) the liability in case of breach of the contract; and
(6) any other matter that the contracting parties consider
necessary.
Article 25 Assignment of a right referred to in Article 10, paragraphs
(5) to (17), of this Law shall require conclusion of a contract in
writing.
A contract of assignment shall include the following basic clauses:
(1) title of the work;
(2) category and geographic area of the assigned right;
(3) assignment price;
(4) date and manner of payment of the assignment price;
(5) liabilities for breach of the contract; and
(6) any other matters that the contracting parties consider
necessary.
Article 26 The other party shall not, without permission from the
copyright owner, exercise any right that the copyright owner has not
expressly licensed or assigned in the licensing and assignment contract.
Article 27 The standard of remuneration for the exploitation of a work
may be fixed by the interested parties or may be paid according to the
standard established by the copyright administration department under
the State Council in collaboration with other departments concerned.
Where the interested parties have not expressly fixed it, remuneration
may also be paid in accordance with the standard established by the
copyright administration department under the State Council in
collaboration with other departments concerned.
Article 28 Publishers, performers, producers of sound recordings and
video recordings, radio stations, television stations and other entities
who or which have obtained, pursuant to the relevant provisions of this
Law, the right to exploit the copyright of others, shall not prejudice
the authors' rights of authorship, alteration or integrity, or their
right to remuneration.
Chapter IV Publication, Performance, Sound Recording, Video Recording
and Broadcasting
Section 1 Publication of Books, Newspapers and Periodicals
Article 29 A book publisher who publishes a book shall conclude a
publishing contract with, and pay remuneration to, the copyright owner.
Article 30 A book publisher shall have the exclusive right to publish
the work delivered to him by the copyright owner for publication. The
exclusive right to publish a work enjoyed by the book publisher
specified in the contract shall be protected by law, and the work may
not be published by others.
Article 31 The copyright owner shall deliver the work within the term
specified in the contract. The book publisher shall publish the work in
accordance with the quality requirements and within the term specified
in the contract.
The book publisher shall bear the civil liability specified in
Article 53 of this Law if he fails to publish the work within the term
specified in the contract.
The book publisher shall notify, and pay remuneration to, the
copyright owner when the work is to be reprinted or republished. If the
publisher refuses to reprint or republish the work when stocks of the
book are exhausted, the copyright owner shall have the right to
terminate the contrast.
Article 32 Where a copyright owner has submitted the manuscript of his
work to a newspaper or a periodical publisher for publication and has
not received, within 15 days from the newspaper publisher or within 30
days from the periodical publisher, counted from the date of submission
of the manuscript, any notification of the said publisher's decision to
publish the work, the copyright owner may submit the manuscript of the
same work to another newspaper or periodical publisher for publication,
unless the two parties have agreed otherwise.
Except where the copyright owner has declared that reprinting or
excerpting is not permitted, other newspaper or periodical publishers
may, after the publication of the work by a newspaper or periodical,
reprint the work or print an abstract of it or print it as reference
material, but such other publishers shall pay remuneration to the
copyright owner as prescribed in regulations.
Article 33 A book publisher may alter or abridge a work with the
permission of the copyright owner.
A newspaper or periodical publisher may make editorial modifications
and abridgements in a work, but shall not make modifications in the
contents of the work unless permission has been obtained from the
author.
Article 34 When publishing works created by adaptation, translation,
annotation, arrangement or compilation of preexisting works, the
publisher shall both have the permission from, and pay remuneration to,
the owners of the copyright in the works created by means of adaptation,
translation, annotation, arrangement or compilation and the owners of
the copyright in the original works.
Article 35 A publisher has the right to license or prohibit any other
person to use the typographical arrangement of books or periodicals he
has published.
The term of protection for the right provided for in the preceding
paragraph shall be ten years, and expires on 3l December of the tenth
year after the first publication of the books or periodicals using the
typographical arrangement.
Section 2 Performance
Article 36 A performer (an individual performer or a performing entity)
who for a performance exploits a work created by another person shall
obtain permission from, and pay remuneration to, the copyright owner.
Where a performing organizer organizes a performance, the Organizer
shall obtain permission from, and pay remuneration to, the copyright
owner.
When exploiting, for performance, works created by adaptation,
translation, annotation, arrangement or compilation of preexisting
works, the performer shall both have the permission from, and pay
remuneration to, the owners of the copyright in the works created by
means of adaptation, translation, annotation, arrangement or compilation
and the owners of the copyright in the original works.
Article 37 A performer shall, in relation to his performance, enjoy the
right
(l) to claim performer ship;
(2) to protect the image inherent in his performance from
distortion;
(3) to authorize others to make live broadcasts and public
transmission of its or his performance and to receive remuneration;
(4) to authorize others to make sound recordings and video
recordings, and to receive remuneration therefore.
(5) to authorize others to reproduce or distribute sound recordings
and video recordings incorporating his performance, and to receive
remuneration therefore; and
(6) to authorize others to communicate his performance to the public
on information network, and to receive remuneration therefore.
The person so authorized who exploits the work in the way referred
to in the preceding paragraphs (3) to (6) shall obtain permission from,
and pay remuneration to, the copyright owner.
Article 38 The term of protection for the rights provided for in Article
37, paragraphs (1) and (2), of this Law shall not be subject to any
limitation.
The term of protection for the rights provided for in Article 37,
paragraphs (3) to (6), of this Law shall be fifty years, and expires on
31 December of the fiftieth year after the performance was made.
Section 3 Sound Recordings and Video Recordings
Article 39 A producer of sound recordings or video recording who, for
the production of a sound recording or video recording, exploits a work
created by another person, shall obtain permission from, and pay
remuneration to, the copyright owner.
A producer of sound recordings or video recordings who exploits a
work created by adaptation, translation, annotation or arrangement of a
preexisting work shall both obtain permission from, and pay remuneration
to the owner of the copyright in the work created by adaptation,
translation, annotation or arrangement and to the owner of the copyright
in the original work.
A producer of sound recordings who exploits a music work another
person has duly made into a sound recording to produce sound recordings,
may not obtain permission from, but shall pay remuneration to the
copyright owner as prescribed by regulat1ons, such Work shall not be
exploited where the copyright owner has declared that such exploitation
is not permitted.
Article 40 When producing a sound recording or video recording, the
producer shall conclude a contract with, and pay remuneration to, the
performers.
Article 41 A producer of sound recordings or video recordings shall have
the right to authorize others to reproduce, distribute, rent and
communicate to the public on an information network such sound
recordings or video recordings and the right to obtain remuneration
therefore. The term of protection of such rights shall be fifty years,
and expires on 3l December of the fiftieth year after the recording was
first produced.
Any one who is authorized to reproduce, distribute and communicate
to the public on an information network a sound recording or video
recording shall also obtain permission from, and pay remuneration to,
the copyright owner and the performer as presented by regulations.
Section 4 Broadcasting by Radio Stations or Television Stations
Article 42 A radio station or television station that broadcasts an
unpublished work created by another person, shall obtain permission
from, and pay remuneration to, the copyright owner.
A radio station or television station that broadcasts a published
work created by another person does not need a permission from, but
shall pay remuneration to, the copyright owner.
Article 43 A radio station or television station that broadcasts a
published sound recording, does not need a permission from, but shall
pay remuneration to, the copyright owner, except that the interested
parties have agreed otherwise. The specific procedures for treating the
matter shall be established by the State Council.
Article 44 A radio station or television station shall have the right to
prohibit the following acts without authorization therefrom:
(1) to rebroadcast its broadcast radio or television program; and
(2) to fix its broadcast radio or television program on a sound
recording or video recording carrier and to reproduce the sound
recording or video recording carrier.
The term of protection for the right referred to in the preceding
paragraph shall be fifty years, and expires on 31 December of the
fiftieth year after the radio or television program was first broadcast.
Article 45 A television station that broadcasts a cinematographic work,
a work created by virtue of an analogous method of film production or a
video graphic work produced by another person shall obtain permission
from, and pay remuneration to, the producer of the cinematographic or
video graphic work; the station that broadcasts a video graphic work
produced by another person shall obtain permission of, and pay
remuneration to, the copyright owner.
Chapter V Legal Liabilities and Enforcement Measures
Article 46 Anyone who commits any of the following acts of infringement
shall bear civil liability for such remedies as ceasing the infringing
act, eliminating the effects of the act, making an apology or paying
compensation for damages, depending on the circumstances:
(1) publishing a work without the permission of the copyright
owner;
(2) publishing a work of joint authorship as a work created solely
by oneself, without the permission of the other co-authors;
(3) having one's name mentioned in connection with a work created by
another, in order to seek personal fame and gain, where one has not
taken part in the creation of the work;
(4) distorting or mutilating a work created by another;
(5) plagiarizing a work of another person;
(6) exploiting by exhibition, film production or any analogous
method of film production, or by adaptation, translation, annotation, or
by other means, without the permission of the copyright owner, unless
otherwise provided in this Law;
(7) exploiting a work created by another person without paying
remuneration as prescribed by regulations;
(8) rending a work, sound recording or video recording, without the
permission of the copyright owner of a cinematographic work, a work
created by virtue of an analogous method of film production, computer
software, sound recording or video recording or the owner of a
copyright-related right unless otherwise provided in this Law.
(9) exploiting the typographic arrangement of a book or periodical
without the permission of the publisher.
(10) broadcasting live a performance or communicating the live
performance to the public, or recording his performance without the
permission of the performer; or
(11) committing any other act of infringement of copyright and of
other rights and interests relating to copyright.
Article 47 Anyone who commits any of the following acts of infringement
shall bear civil liability for such remedies as ceasing the infringing
act, eliminating the effects of the act, making an apology or paying
damages, depending on the circumstances' and may, in addition, be
subjected by a copyright administration department to such
administrative penalties as ceasing the infringing act, confiscating
unlawful income from the act, confiscating and destroying infringing
reproductions and imposing a fine; where the circumstances are serious,
the copyright administration department may also confiscate the
materials, tools, and equipment mainly used for making the infringing
reproductions; and if the act constitutes a crime, the infringer shall
be prosecuted for his criminal liability:
(1) reproducing, distributing, performing, showing, broadcasting,
compiling or communicating to the public on an information network a
work created by another person, without the permission of the copyright
owner, unless otherwise provided in this Law;
(2) publishing a book where the exclusive right of publication
belongs to another person;
(3) reproducing and distributing a sound recording or video
recording of a performance, or communicating to the public his
performance on an information network without the permission of the
performer, unless otherwise provided in the Law;
(4) reproducing and distributing or communicating to the public on
an information network a sound recording or video recording produced by
another person, without the permission of the producer, unless otherwise
provided in the Law;
(5) broadcasting and reproducing a radio or television program
produced by a radio station or television station without the permission
of the radio station or television station, unless otherwise provided in
this Law;
(6) intentionally circumventing or destroying the technological
measures taken by a right holder for protecting the copyright or
copyright-related rights in his work, sound recording or video
recording, without the permission of the copyright owner, or the owner
of the copyright-related rights, unless otherwise provided in law or in
administrative regulations;
(7) intentionally deleting or altering the electronic right
management information of a work, sound recording or video recording,
without the permission of the copyright owner or the owner of a
copyright-related right, unless otherwise provided in law or in
administrative regulations; or
(8) producing or selling a work where the signature of another is
counterfeited.
Article 48 Where a copyright or a copyright-re1ated right is infringed,
the infringer shall compensate for the actually injury suffered by the
right holder; where the actual injury is difficult to compute, the
damages shall be paid on the basis of the unlawful income of the
infringer. The amount of damages shall also include the appropriate fees
paid by the right holder to stop the infringing act.
Where the right holder's actual injury or infringer's Unlawful
income cannot be determined, the People's Court shall Judge the damages
not exceeding RMB 500, 00 depending on the circumstances of the
infringing act.
Article 49 A copyright owner or owner of a copyright-related right who
has evidence to establish that another person is committing or will
commit an act of infringing his right, which could cause irreparable
injury to his legitimate rights and interests if the act is not stopped
immediately, may apply to the People's Court for ordering cessation of
the related act and for taking the measures for property preservation
before instituting legal proceedings.
The provisions of Articles 93 to 96 and 99 of the Civil Procedure
Law of the People's Republic of China shall apply when the People's
Court handles the application referred to in the preceding paragraph.
Article 50 For the purpose of preventing an infringing act and under the
circumstance where the evidence could be lost or is difficult to obtain
at1erwards, the copyright owner or the owner of a copyright-related
right may apply to the People's Court for evidence preservation before
initiating legal proceedings.
The People's Court must make the decision within forty-eight hours
after it accepts an application; the measures of preservation shall be
taken without delay if it is decided to do so.
The People's Court may order the applicant to provide a guaranty, if
the latter fails to do so, the Court shall reject the application.
Where the applicant fails to institute legal proceedings within
fifteen days after the People's Court adopted the measures of
preservation, the latter shall terminate the measures of preservation.
Article 51 The People's Court hearing a case may confiscate the unlawful
income, infringing reproductions and materials used for committing the
illegal act of infringement of copyright or copyright-related rights.
Article 52 The publisher or producer of a reproduction who cannot prove
that his publication or production has been authorized, the distributor
of a reproduction or the renter of the reproduction of a cinematographic
work, a work created by virtue of an analogous method of film
production, computer software, sound recording or video recording who
cannot prove that his distributed or rented reproduction has been from a
lawful source, shall bear legal liability.
Article 53 A party who fails to fulfill his contractual obligations, or
executes them in a manner that is not in conformity with the agreed
conditions of the contract, shall bear civil liability in accordance
with the relevant provisions of the General Principles of the Civil Law
of the People's Republic of China, the Contract Law of the People's
Republic of China and other relevant laws and regulations.
Article 54 A dispute over copyright may be settle by mediation. lt may
also be submitted for arbitration to a copyright arbitration body under
a written arbitration agreement concluded between the parties or under
the arbitration clause in the contract.
Any party may institute proceedings directly in the People's Court
in the absence of a written arbitration agreement or in the absence of
an arbitration clause in the contract.
Article 55 Any party who is not satisfied with an administrative penalty
may institute proceedings in the People's Court within three months from
the date of receipt of the written decision on the penalty. If a party
neither institutes legal proceedings nor implements the decision within
the time limit, the copyright administration department concerned may
apply to the People's Court for enforcement.
Chapter Vl Supplementary Provisions
Article 56 For the purposes of this Law, the terms "zhuzuoquan"2 is
"banquan"2.
Article 57 "publication" referred to in Article 2 of this Law means the
reproduction and distribution of a work.
Article 58 Regulations for the protection of computer software and the
right of communication of information on network shall be established
separately by the State Council.
Article 59 The rights of copyright owners, publishers, performers,
producers of sound recordings and video recordings, radio stations and
television' stations as provided for in this Law, of which the term of
protection specified in this Law has not yet expired on the date of this
Law's entry into force, shall be protected in accordance with this Law.
Any infringements of copyright and the copyright-related rights or
breaches of contract committed prior to the entry into force of this Law
shall be dealt with under the relevant regulations or policies in force
at the time when the act was committed.
Article 60 This Law shall enter into force on June 1, l99l.
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1 Quyi refers to such traditional art forms as ballad singing, story
telling, comic dialogues, clapper talks and cross talks.
2 Zhuzuoquan corresponds to "author's right", but literally translated
as "right in a work"; "banquan" is the literal translation of
"copyright".
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