On April 25, the Information Office of the State Council held a press conference in Beijing, detailing the development situation of China’s intellectual property in 2016. Yu Cike, Press Spokesman of NCAC and Director General of Copyright  Department of NCAC, attended the press conference and answered questions from journalists.

In 2016, the volume of China’s copyright registration increased rapidly, reaching 2,007,600, with a year-on-year growth of 22.23%. Registration of pledge right of copyright reached 327, involving principal debts of 3.376 billion yuan. In terms of the administrative law enforcement in the field of copyright, the NCAC, together with the CAC, MIIT and MPS, jointly launched special actions “Sword Network 2016” against news infringement and piracy in the field of the network literature, mobile software applications, e-commerce platform, online advertising alliance and private cinemas, through which, 514 administrative cases were investigated into, fines of 4.67 million yuan were charged, 33 cases were transferred to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution and an amount of 200 million yuan was involved.

Yu Cike notified journalists of the achievements of special actions “Jianwang Campaign” made since 2005. Over the 12 years, the administrative departments for copyright at all levels have investigated and dealt with 5,578 Internet infringement and piracy cases, closed 3,079 infringing and pirated websites according to the law, confiscated 2,230 servers and related equipment, imposed fines of 20.52 million yuan, and transferred 480 cases to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution. While carrying out Jianwang Campaign, the NCAC has strengthened constantly key supervision over influential Internet enterprises since 2009. At present, the administrative departments for copyright at various regions implemented key supervision over 3,029 key websites, through which, the disordered situation in the copyright of video websites changed to a large extent.

In response to the Phoenix TV journalist’s question “how to look at the phenomenon that the full edition of the hit TV drama In the Name of People is publicly sold online while the broadcasting hasn’t finished yet”, Yu Cike said that this kind of Internet infringement and piracy act was a violation of the Copyright Law, which should be stopped and investigated. The NCAC had included the hit TV series in the List of the Fourth Batch of Key Works under Copyright Protection 2017, and asked major websites to take measures to deal with infringement links in a timely manner. The NCAC would also put on record and deal with the complaints of the right holders, and actively cooperate with judicial authorities for investigation according to law.

With respect to the question “China’s copyright industry accounted for 7.3% of the National GDP in 2015. I would like to ask what the relationship is between the development of the copyright industry and the improvement of the ecological environment of the copyright”, Yu Cike replied that the Research Report on Economic Contribution of China’s Copyright Industry 2015 prepared by the China Academy of Press and Publication upon the delegation of the NCAC would be officially released on April 24. This core data showed that China’s copyright industry was in the steady development, and further proved that China’s copyright protection environment was further improving. Only the copyright protection environment was good and the copyright system was perfect could the copyright industry be further developed.

Yu Cike also indicated that the NCAC was working with the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council to further revise the draft for review of the Copyright Law, which was a concern to the society. At present, the amendment of the Copyright Law was included in the first class of legislative programs of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth NPC, i.e., the amendment draft would be submitted for deliberation during the term of office after the conditions became more mature.

Source: China Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television Journal  

Update: April 26, 2017