China’s Courts Found Non-Infringement for Unauthorized Remake of Song

(By Luo Yanjie) Abstract: The scope of the statutory license includes the manufacturing of the audio recording, and also includes the distribution of the work afterwards. Judging from the latest case, the written statement of the right holder must explicitly exclude the application of statutory license, and cannot simply exclude it by claiming “chasing any infringement.”

The statutory license provided in the Copyright Law is to prevent a monopoly in the music market, but the law also regulates that the right holder has the right to exclude that license. ” However as to what kind statement shall be made within such exclusion statement, we have found no such regulation in law. According to the case described in this essay, the recording industry tends to use the term “copyright reserved, and infringement chased”, which in fact is not within the scope of the license due to the followings:

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Is the Second-paid Right of Audio-visual works in Draft Copyright Law Feasible?

On the 6th of July, the State Copyright Bureau published the second copyright law revision draft (hereinafter referred to as “the second draft”), which removed the “phonograms compulsory license” clause and the collective management organization’s “extended management” clause those are controversial in the first draft. The removal is welcomed by right people. In spite of this a new rule in the second draft caused controversy by the Movie Company and investors which is so-called “second paid right” of right people and related individuals. Industry insiders point out, the rule of “second paid right” will lead to the circulation payment which will increase the cost indefinitely. It will cause a negative effect to movie industry’s development. Today, we would like to introduce the rule of “second paid right” and share ideas as follows:

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What Change on Information Communication by Network in Exposure Draft of China Copyright Law? II

By Luo Yanjie

II. To enlarge the information networks: a concept coincidence with the right to transmission

Besides the enlargement to the definition of the right to the information communication by networks in the exposure draft, the new judicial interpretation also regulates a wider definition on the information networks, which includes PC internet, radio & television networks and mobile telecommunication networks. We support such enlargements for radio and television VOD is feasible with the technology development while the networks of them are excluded from the legal information networks. Since the nature of VOD on radio & television networks is of no difference from that on the internet, the information communication by networks shall naturally involve it.

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What Change on Online Copyright in Exposure Draft of China Copyright Law? I

By Luo Yanjie

In recent, the exposure draft of the Copyright Law (the “exposure draft”) has been the hot spots among the public, and many revisions of it have arisen wide argument, among which the most debated parts are the coercive license of the music works in Article 46 and extension management of the copyright collective management organization in Article 60 and 70. On the other hand, it also comes to our attention that rare discussion has been made on the revision concerning the right to the information communication by networks in the exposure draft, which however has been modified a lot. Although such modifications are seems to be a little bit “theoretical”, no one could deny it’s major influence in the future practices. And considering the increasing position of the internet in spreading the copyrighted works, it’s unfair to neglect the revision on the right to the information communication by networks.

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Music Website in China: What Influence from Latest Copyright Law and Judicial Interpretation

Recently, the exposure draft of Copyright Law PRC (the “Exposure Draft”) has been the hot topic of the public, and also there comes the argument on the modification of some articles. In last week (20th April, 2012), the Supreme People’s Court released the Regulations on the Several Issues on the Law Application in Hearing the Civil Dispute of Infringement against the Right of Information Communication by Nerworks (exposure draft) (the “Judicial Interpretation”), and the document mainly intends to make kind of interpretation on the application of the right of information communication by networks. Then, what influence will come to local music websites shall both the Exposure Draft and the Judicial Interpretation are passed? The following is our opinions on it (the picture is the logo of QQ Music, one of the main music website in China):

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