As an important legal basis in intellectual property, copyright is essential for authors and creators as well as for companies in the value chain of cultural products. The protection of copyright is also vital for the healthy development of culture and entertainment in the world.

Today, with the boom of the culture market in China, the competition over copyright is becoming increasingly fierce, especially in the music and sports broadcasting industries. Rivals are not individuals but entertainment service providers. In recent years, many online music platforms have participated in the war over copyright. They have spared no expense in bidding for exclusive copyrights, which has resulted in legal disputes and market chaos.

Copyright contests must not become an “enclosure movement.” The monopoly of copyrights will hamper the development of music and other cultural products. More importantly, the market and the industry should pursue a stable pattern for the sustainable development of copyright trading, authorization and the use.

Copyright problems have caught the attention of the public and the government. On January 3, a seminar on the draft for the third amendment of the Copyright Law was held in Beijing. Over 20 senior officials, law experts, scholars and lawyers specializing in intellectual property across the country were in attendance. The amendment is expected to improve legislation for the protection of copyright and build a solid legal safeguard against piracy while serving as the legal basis to solve copyright disputes in near future.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article published in Oriental Outlook on February 1)