Application and Rights
How to register a copyright in China?
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
govt.chinadaily.com.cn
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Can foreigners enjoy copyright in China?
Works of foreigners can enjoy copyright in China if they meet any one of the following three conditions:
1. The copyright enjoyed by foreigners or stateless persons in any of their works under an agreement concluded between China and the country to which they belong, or in which they have their habitual residences, or under an international treaty to which both countries are parties.
2. Foreigners and stateless persons whose works are first published in the territory of China shall enjoy copyright
3. Any work of an author of a country that has not concluded any agreement with China or that is not a party to any international treaty to which China is a party, and any work of a stateless person can enjoy the copyright in China, when it is first published in a member country of an international treaty to which China is a party, or simultaneously published in a member country of the treaty and in a non-member country.
Does copyright need to be registered in China?
Copyright does not need to be registered. Once a work is completed, the author enjoys copyright whether it is published or not. The principle of voluntariness is adopted in the registration of works’ copyright, and the copyright owners can decide whether to register their work.
However, registration of the copyright not only can help to protect the rights and interests of the authors, copyright owners and users of works, but also can offer evidence to solve disputes about the copyright ownership.
Registration documents
1. Identity certification of the author.
2. The certification of the ownership of the copyright.
3. Sample of the work.
4. Copyright registration application form.
5. Instruction of the works which include the introduction of intention, process and originality with the signature of the author.
The ways to register the copyright in China
The National Copyright Administration is responsible for the registration of works of foreign authors and other copyright owners in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
Individuals need to access to the website (http://www.ccopyright.com/) to register an account, fill the application form online and print it. The form needs to be sent or directly handed to the National Copyright Administration with the signature of the author. The application fee will be asked to pay after checking the documents. A copyright certificate will be given if the registration is successful.
The payment of the registration
The payment of the registration depends on the format and context of the work, the lowest cost is 100 yuan, and the highest cost is 2000 yuan.
Charging item |
Fee (RMB) |
Remarks |
Words and Oral Work |
under 100 words, 100 yuan 101-5000 words, 150 yuan 5001-10000 words. 200 yuan More than 10,000 words, 300yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Music work |
Music and literature 300 yuan， Music 200 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Dramatic work |
300 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Opera works |
300 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Choreographic works |
300 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Acrobatic work |
300 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Art works |
300 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Photographic works |
300 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Engineering design Product design |
500 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Maps, sketches |
500 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Model works |
500 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Architecture |
1500 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Movie |
2000 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Video work |
200 yuan for less than 1 minute 300 yuan for 1-5 minutes 400 yuan for 5-10 minutes 800 yuan for 10-25 minutes 1000 yuan for 25-45 minutes 2000 yuan for more than 45 minutes Teleplay 100 yuan per episode |
The payment of the series from the second item is 50 yuan each. The payment of the series from the second item is 50 yuan each. The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. The payment of the series from the second item is 200 yuan each. The payment of the series from the second item is 300 yuan each. The payment of the series from the second item is 400 yuan each. |
Compilation |
2000 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Media compilation |
2000 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Others |
2000 yuan |
The payment of the series from the second item is 100 yuan each. |
Source: Copyright Law of China
This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version
