Regulations for the Implementation of International CopyrightTreaties

Regulations for the Implementation of International CopyrightTreaties (Promulgated on September 25, 1992) Whole Doc.

Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in order to implement international copyright treaties and to protect the lawful rights and interests of owners of copyrights in foreign works.

Article 2 The protection of foreign works shall be governed by the PRC Copyright Law (the Copyright Law), the PRC Copyright Law Implementing Rules, the Computer Software Protection Regulations a nd these Regulations.

Article 3 The term "international copyright treaties" as used in these Regulations shall refer to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (the Berne Convention) acceded to by the PRC and bilateral copyright agreements entered into with foreign countries.

Article 4 The term "foreign works" as used these Regulations shall include the following: (1) works, of which the author or one of the authors, or the owners or one of the owners of the copyright, is a national of a country that is a member of an international copyright treaty or a resident of such member country with habitual residence in such member country; (2) works that are not authored by a national of a country that is a member of an international copyright treaty or by a resident of such member country with habitual residence in such member country, but that are first or simultaneously published in such member country; and (3) works, the creation of which was commissioned to another party by a Sino-foreig n equity joint venture, a Sino-foreign cooperative joint venture or a wholly foreign owned enterprise, and for which a contract provides that such joint venture or enterprise is the owner or one of the owners of the copyright.

Article 5 Articles 20 and 21 of the Copyright Law shall apply to the term of protection of unpublished foreign works.

Article 6 The term of protection of foreign works of applied art shall be 25 years from the completion of such works.

The preceding paragraph shall not apply to works of fine art (including designs of animated cartoon imaged) used on industrial products.

Article 7 Foreign computer programs shall be protected as literary works and shall not require registration. The term of protection shall be 50 years from the end of the year of first publication of such a program.

Article 8 Foreign works that are a compilation of unprotected material but that are original in terms of the selection or arrangement of the material shall be protected under Article 14 of the Copyright Law. Such protection shall not exclude others from using the same material for a compilation.

Article 9 Foreign video recordings that under international copyright treaties constitute cinematographic works shall be protected as cinematographic works.

Article 10 Where a foreigner has created and published a work in the language of the Han nationality, the publication and distribution of a translation of such work into the language of a minority nationality shall be subject to prior authorization of the copyright owner.

Article 11 Owners of copyright in foreign works may authorize others publicly to perform their works, or to communicate to the public the performance of their works, by any means or process.

Article 12 Owners of copyright in foreign cinematographic, television and video recording works may authorize others to publicly p erform their works.

Article 13 Reproduction by the press of foreign works shall be subject to prior authorization of the copyright owners, except in the case of reproduction of articles on current social topics such as political and economic issues.

Article 14 After owners of copyright in foreign works have authorized other persons to distribute copies of their works, they may authorize or prohibit the rental of copies of their works.

Article 15 The owner of the copyright in a foreign work shall have the right to prohibit import of the following reproductions of his work: (1) infringing copies; and (2) reproductions coming from a country where the work is not protected.

Article 16 The performance, recording or broadcasting of foreign works shall be governed by the Berne Convention. Where collective administration organizations exist, prior authorization shall be obtained from such organizations.

Article 17 Foreign works that have not yet fallen into the public domain in the country of origin on the date of the international copyright treaty coming into force in China, shall be protected until the expiry of the term of protection provided for in the Copyright Law and these Regulations.

The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to the use of foreign works prior to the date of the international copyright treaty coming into force in China.

Chinese citizens or legal persons that owned and used particular reproductions of foreign works for particular purposes prior to the international copyright treaty coming into force in China, may continue to use the reproductions of such works without liability, provided that such reproductions are neither reproduced nor used in any way that would unreasonably prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of the owners of copyright in the works.

The provisions of the preceding 3 paragraphs shall be implemented in accordance with the relevant bilateral copyright agreements between China and the relevant countries.

Article 18 Articles 5, 12, 14, 15 and 17 of these Regulations shall apply to products of sound recordings.

Article 19 In the event of any discrepancies between these Regulations and administrative laws and regulations concerning copyright that were promulgated prior to the implementation of these Regulations, these Regulations shall prevail. In the event of any discrepancies between these Regulations and international copyright treaties, the international copyright treaties shall prevail.

Article 20 The State Copyright Administration shall be responsible for the implementation of international copyright treaties in China.

Article 21 The State Copyright Administration shall be responsible for the interpretation of these Regulations.

Article 22 These Regulations shall be implemented as of September 30, 1992.