| Implementing Regulations of
The Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China
Issued by Premier Zhu Rongji on August 2, 2002, effective
as of September 15, 2002
Article 1 These implementing Regulations are formulated pursuant
to the Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China (hereafter
referred to as “the law”).
Article 2 The term “works” used in the Law shall mean original
intellectual creations in the literary, artistic and scientific
domain, insofar as they are capable of being reproduced ina
certain tangible form.
Article 3 The term “ creation” mentioned in the Law shall
mean intellectual activities from which literary, artistic
and scientific works directly result.
The provision of consultations, material means or other supporting
services for others in their creative activities, shall not
be deemed as acts of creation.
Article 4 The works as mentioned in the Law and the Regulations
shall mean the following:
(1) written works are works expressed in written form, such
as novels, poems, essays and thesis, etc.
(2) oral works are works which are created in spoken words
such as impromptu speeches, lectures and court debates, etc.
(3) music works are such works as symphonic works and songs,
with or without accompanying words, which can be sung or performed;
(4) dramatic works are such works as dramas, operas and local
art forms which are used for stage performance;
(5) “quyi” works include such works as “Xiangsheng” (cross
talk), “kuaishu” (clapper talk), “dagu” (ballad singing with
drum accompaniment) and “pingshu” (story-telling based on
classic novels), which are all used mainly for being performed
in a way involving recitation, singing, or both;
(6) choreographic works are works which are or can be expressed
in successive body movements, gestures and facial movements;
(7) acrobatic art works are such works as acrobatics, magic
and circus which can be expressed in body movements and in
technique way;
(8) works of fine art are two-or three-dimensional works
created in lines, colors or other medium which, when being
viewed, impart aesthetic effect, such as paintings, works
of calligraphy, sculptures and works of architecture;
(9) architectural works are works which are works in architectural
building or expressed in similar format, when being viewed,
impart aesthetic effect;
(10)photographic works are the kind of artistic works created
by recording images on light-sensitive materials with the
aid of devices;
(11)cinematographic works and works which are created in
analogous shooting cinematographic works are works consisting
of a series of related images which, when shown in succession,
impart an impression of motion with the aid of suitable devices,
together with accompanying sounds or not;
(12)pictorial works are such works as drawings of engineering
designs and product designs which are designed for the purpose
of actual construction and manufacturing, and maps, sketches
and other graphic works showing geographic phenomena and demonstrating
the fundamentals or the structure of a thing;
(13)model works are three-dimensional works which are drawn
to certain scale according to format and structure of a thing
for the purpose of exhibition, testing and viewing;
Article 5 As used in the Law and this Regulations, the following
terms mean the following:
(1) news on current events refers to the mere facts or happenings
conveyed by newspapers, periodicals and radio and television
programmes;
(2) sound recordings refer to the recordation of any sounds
of performance and others;
(3) video recordings refer to the recordation of a series
of related images, with or without accompanying sounds, other
than analogous cinematographic works;
(4) producer of sound recording refers to the first original
person who makes sound recordings;
(5) producer of video recording refers to the first original
person who makes video recordings;
(6) performer refers to an actor or any other person who
performs literary and artistic works.
Article 6 Copyright shall be protected on the date when a
work is created.
Article 7 The work of a foreigner or person without nationality
as promulgated by the third section of Article 2 of the Law
which is first published in the territory of China shall be
protected on the date when the work is first published.
Article 8 The work of a foreigner or person without nationality
which is published in the territory of China within 30 days
after first published outside China shall be deemed published
in China at same time.
Article 9 Copyright of the joint work which can’t be used
separately shall be owned by joint authors and exercised by
unanimous agreement; where joint authors failed to reach an
agreement and without reasonable reasons, any party may not
prevent the other parties from exercising the said copyright
except transfer right, but the gaining from exercising the
said copyright shall be allocate to all joint authors reasonably.
Article 10 Where the copyright owner has authorized others
to make cinematographic work or analogous cinematographic
works based on his works, it is deemed that he has permitted
them to make necessary alteration of his works, insofar as
such alteration does not distort or mutilate the original
work.
Article 11 The “work commission” mentioned in first paragraph
of Article 16 of the Law regarding employment works shall
mean duties the citizen shall perform in his legal entity
or organization.
The material and technical resources mentioned in second
paragraph of Article 16 of the Law regarding employment works
shall mean the funds, equipments or materials provided expressly
for the creation of a work.
Article 12 Within two years after the creation of the employment
work, the author may, with the permission of the entity to
which he belongs, permit a third party to use the work in
the same manner as the entity may have done. Remunerations
thus obtained shall be divided between the author and the
entity according to agreed proportions.
The aforementioned two years period after the creation of
the work shall be calculated from the date on which the work
concerned was submitted to the entity.
Article 13 In the case of a work of an unknown author, the
copyright, except the right of authorship, shall be exercised
by the lawful holder of the original copy of the work. Where
the author has been identified, the copyright shall be exercised
by the author or his heir in title.
Article 14 In the case where one of the co-authors of a work
of joint authorship dies without heir in title or other behested
beneficiary, the right of exploitation and the economic rights
he enjoyed in the work shall be exercised by other co-authors.
Article 15 The right of authorship, right of revision and
right of integrity shall, after the death of the author, be
protected by the heir in title and other behested beneficiary.
Article 16 The using of copyright enjoyed by the State shall
be managed by the State
Council copyright administration departments.
Article 17 In the case of posthumous works, the right of
publication may be exercised by the author’s heir in title
or other behested beneficiary within a period of fifty years,
unless the author expressly had stated otherwise. In the absence
of an heir in title or other behested beneficiary, the said
right shall be exercised by the lawful holder of the original
copy of the work.
Article 18 In the case of a work of an unknown author, the
protection term in relation to the rights as mentioned by
item 5 to item 17 of first paragraph of Article 10 of the
Law shall be fifty years ending on December 31 of the fiftieth
year after the first publication of the work. Article 21 of
the Law shall be applicable after the author of the work has
been identified.
Article 19 Anyone uses works owned by others shall show clearly
name of the author and title of the work; but exceptions if
involved party has another agreement or can’t show clearly
due to special character of using the work;
Article 20 A published work as mentioned in the Law refers
to a work which has been made available by the copyright owner
to the public by means stipulated in the Law.
Article 21 The use of published works with no need permission
from copyright owner by provisions concerned of the Law shall
not harm the normal exploitation of the work concerned and
shall not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests
of the copyright owner.
Article 22 The remuneration standard of using works under
the Article 23, the second paragraph of Article 32 and the
third paragraph of Article 39 of the Law will be made and
promulgated by the State Council copyright administration
department jointly with the State Council price authority.
Article 23 Anyone who uses copyrighted work of others shall
establish license agreement with copyright owner, where the
right licensed to use is exclusive right of exploitation,
such agreement shall be made in written form, except in cases
where works are to be published by newspapers or periodicals.
Article 24 The contents of exclusive right of exploitation
as mentioned by the Article 24 of the Law shall be stipulated
by the contract, no stipulations in the contract or in default
of a clear indication in the contract, shall be deemed that
the licensee has the right to prevent any other person, including
the copyright owner, from using the work in the same way.
However, the sublicensing of the same right to a third party
shall be subject to permission by the copyright owner, unless
the contract parties agreed otherwise.
Article 25 The licensing to use contract, contract of copyright
transfer with the copyright owner may be subject to copyright
administration department for record.
Article 26 Rights related to copyright, as mentioned in the
Law and this Regulations, mean the right enjoyed by publishers
in their publication designs of books and periodicals, the
right enjoyed by performers in their performances, the right
enjoyed by producers of audio and video recordings in their
products and the right enjoyed by radio and television stations
in their broadcasts.
Article 27 Publishers, performers, producers of audio and
video recordings and radio and television stations, in the
course of exercising their rights, shall not prejudice the
right of the copyright owner of the works being used and of
the original work.
Article 28 In the case where exclusive publishing right was
agreed but didn’t make definite about details in the book
publishing contract, shall be deemed that the publisher has
right to publish, within the term of validity of and the territory
of execution defined by the contract, a work in its original
language and in the form of original edition, revised version.
Article 29 The state of being out of print in relation to
a work mentioned in Article 31 of the Law shall be established
if a period of six months, after two subscription forms were
mailed by the author to the publisher, expires without action
being taken to satisfy the subscription.
Article 30 To object to the reprinting or extracting of his
work by virtue of the second paragraph of Article 32 of the
Law, the copyright owner is required to make a statement to
that effect at the same time when the work is first published
in a newspaper or a periodical.
Article 31 To object to making audio productof his work by
virtue of the third paragraph of Article 39 of the Law, the
copyright owner is required to make a statement to that effect
at the same time when his work is legally recorded as a sound
product.
Article 32 To use works of other persons by virtue of the
Article 23, the second paragraph of Article 32, the third
paragraph of Article 39 of the Law, the user shall pay remuneration
to the copyright owner within two month since the date he
used the work.
Article 33 The performances made by foreigners or persons
without nationality shall be protected under the Law.
The rights enjoyed by foreigners or persons without nationality
to their performances under international treaties to which
China already joined are protected under the Law.
Article 34 Sound recording products which are made by foreigners
or persons without nationality in the territory of China are
subject to protection of the Law.
The rights enjoyed by foreigners or persons without nationality
to their sound recording products are subject to protection
of the Law.
Article 36 The infringing acts as mentioned in the Article
47 of the Law, meanwhile harm social common interests, copyright
administration departments may no more than three times fines
of illegal revenues.
Article 37 The infringing acts as mentioned in the Article
47 of the Law, meanwhile harm social common interests, shall
be responsible by local copyright administration departments.
The State Council Copyright Administration Department may
investigate and handle infringing acts that are of nationwide
influence.
Article 38 These Implementing Regulations shall enter into
force on September 15, 2002. The old Implementing Regulations
approved by the State Council on May 24, 1991 is abolished
at the same time.
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