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protection of unpublished foreign works.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.