The Training on Overseas Risk Prevention and Control of Copyright Industry, jointly organized by the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), took place in Shanghai from November 4 to 5, 2020. The training aimed to help Chinese copyright-based companies enhance the awareness and capability of preventing and controlling global risks in their overseas operation, by training foreign-related copyright law professionals.

More than 80 trainees from local copyright administration  copyright associations, collective management organizations, publishing, film and television, games and other copyright-related enterprises received the training certificates from Mr. Yan Xiaohong, Vice Chairman of the Committee of Culture, History and Learning of the CPPCC National Committee & Chairman of the Copyright Society of China, Mr. Yu Cike, Director General of Copyright Department, NCAC, and Ms. Liu Hua, Director of the WIPO Office in China (WOC), on November 5, 2020.

With the implementation of China’s intellectual property (IP) strategy and the rapid development of copyright industry, an increasing number of companies are paiticipating in international market competition. Cultural enterprises such as publishing, film and television, and games compnies, which depend on producing content products, will inevitably face a variety of legal issues when “going global”. It is particularly urgent and important to know how to prevent, control and properly mitigate international copyright risks. NCAC and WIPO have organized a series of training courses to help Chinese companies make IP arrangements overseas and prepare for risk prevention and control. This training is another example of in-depth bilateral cooperation in copyright area after signing MoU in 2015.

When opening the training, Mr. Yu Cike pointed out the necessity to put in place, at multiple levels of government, enterprises, and industry associations, an international risk prevention and control system that enhances Chinese copyright-based companies’ awareness and capability of preventing and controlling global risks in their overseas operation. Mr. Yu said NCAC would continue to cooperate with WIPO in cultivate internationalized copyright talents through organizing such training courses for copyright industry and establishing WIPO Distance Leaning (Copyright) Platform in Chinese.

Ms. Liu Hua also said that China’s cultural and copyright undertakings are making great headways. She recalled that the year 2020 saw the entry into force of Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China, and the deliberation of the Amendment to the Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China (Draft), all of which are landmark actions reflecting China’s overall effort in strengthening the protection for copyright owners. With the rapid growth of China’s cultural industry, it is very natural for cultural and creative products to go global, to which IP is a must. Optimistic about the prospects of China’s IP industry, WIPO is willing to deepen cooperation with China in terms of intellectual property, especially copyright, and provide Chinese parties with closer, better and more timely IP services.