Regulation to protect copyright on networks By Cui Ning (China Daily) Updated: 2004-11-05 08:37
The National Copyright Administration will soon implement a draft regulation
on administrative protection of copyrights on information networks, to better
protect Internet-based work and prevent piracy.
The draft regulation, worked out by the administration and the Ministry of
Information Industry, aims to further bring China's copyright protection closer
to international standards, sources from the administration said at a hearing
yesterday in Beijing.
China amended its Copyright Law in 2001 to add provisions that entitled
authors, performers and audio and video producers to dissemination rights on
Internet-based networks. The law also stipulates that protection of these
dissemination rights will be additionally stipulated by the State Council. The
Legislative Affairs Office under the State Council has listed the protection of
Internet-based dissemination rights in its legislation plan for next year,
according to the administration's official Wang Ziqiang.
"Before the State Council's regulation is worked out, the above draft
regulation will be effective before the end of this year, to help prevent
piracy," said Wang.
The draft regulation applies to the administrative protection of
dissemination rights on Internet-based services. And these services refer to
loading, saving, transmitting, linking, searching and other functions through
the Internet, in accordance with users' directions, the draft regulation states.
In 1996, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) set down two
conventions based on new technology development -- the WIPO Copyright Treaty and
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty -- to specify the Internet-based
copyright of authors, performers and audio and video producers.
This draft regulation on administrative protection of copyright on
information network, is based on WIPO's two conventions and relevant laws in a
number of developed countries.
Yesterday's meeting attracted dozens of representatives from governmental
departments, companies and some websites. They offered their opinions and
suggestions for implementing the draft regulation.
Kuang Ning, a representative from the Shanghai Securities Exhange, said the
draft regulation should also include protection of Internet-based securities
information, as false information has destroyed the order of the securities
exchange in recent years.
