On April 18, as part of the copyright-themed activities during the 2026 National Intellectual Property Publicity Week, the Forum on Sports Copyright Protection, themed “Forging a New Paradigm for Copyright Protection to Drive Upgrades in the Sports Industry”, was held in Suzhou. The event was co-organized by the Copyright Society of China and the Online Copyright Protection Research Base of the National Copyright Administration of China (Migu Culture Technology Co., Ltd.).
In his opening speech, Mr. Zhou Huilin, Chairman of the Copyright Society of China, emphasized that building China into a leading sports nation is a major national strategy in the new era, and copyright protection serves as the lifeline for the healthy development of the sports event industry. Protecting sports copyright means safeguarding the spirit of sports, preserving innovation vitality, and securing the future of the industry. The Copyright Society of China will enhance political stance, strengthen mission commitment, and intensify collaboration with judicial and law enforcement authorities, local associations, and industry alliances to establish long-term working mechanisms, consolidating collective efforts to safeguard the high-quality development of sports. Focusing on key tasks, it will improve protection efficacy by intensifying crackdowns on piracy during major sporting events to effectively uphold the legitimate rights and interests of rights holders. The Society will also unite industry stakeholders to build professional platforms, fostering an ecosystem of rights holder autonomy, platform accountability, industry co-governance, and social supervision, thereby advancing substantive progress in sports copyright protection.
Mr. Wang Zhicheng, Director General of the Copyright Department of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized in his speech that the National Copyright Administration has consistently prioritized copyright protection in sports events, implementing multifaceted measures to reinforce defensive mechanisms. With the advancement of digital technologies, sports copyright infringements now exhibit characteristics such as covert forms, diversified methods, and complex dissemination chains, necessitating continuous improvement in the alignment between copyright protection systems and industrial development. The National Copyright Administration will focus on three key initiatives: intensifying enforcement and supervision to combat infringements persistently; promoting a social co-governance framework to consolidate protective synergies; and actively engaging with international protection rules to share China’s copyright narrative, build consensus, and deepen cooperation for a new paradigm in sports industry copyright protection.
At the event, Msiss. Zhao Ruirui, Olympic gold medalist at Athens 2004 and FIVB Volleyball World Cup champion, was appointed as “Copyright Protection Ambassador of the Copyright Society of China.” She publicly read the Proposal on Copyright Protection and High-Quality Development in the Sports Sector, calling on all stakeholders to align with the national strategy of building a copyright powerhouse, strengthen copyright safeguards in sports, and facilitate high-quality industry development.
The preparatory group for the Copyright Working Committee for Sports Events Programs of Copyright Society of China was officially established. The Music Copyright Society of China and Jiangsu Sports Industry Group signed the Basic Cooperation Plan for Copyright Protection of Music Works in Sports Events, marking a partnership in music copyright protection for sports events.
During the keynote speech session, Shen Wenhai, Party Secretary and Chairman of Migu Culture Technology Co., Ltd.; Wang Yuqi, Deputy Director of the Copyright Operation Center of the General Manager’s Office, China Media Group; Liu Yong, Deputy General Manager of Chinese Professional Football League Sports Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd.; Wang Chen, division-director-level official from the Third Civil Division of the Supreme People’s Court; Zhang Qinkun, Legal Expert Counsel of Tencent Group’s Legal Department; and Lu Haijun, Professor at the University of International Business and Economics, delivered speeches on topics including copyright protection and ecosystem coordination for sports events, as well as governance and institutional improvements for sports event copyrights.
Participants jointly launched the “Uniting Efforts for Shared Progress” ceremony, marking the beginning of a new journey in copyright protection and development for China’s sports events.