U.S. Chamber Urges Copyright Law Reform in China
WUHAN, CHINA-The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) today urged the Chinese government to reform its copyright law in order to put in place the requisite legal framework to tackle persistent and endemic copyright piracy.
“The GIPC is encouraged by China’s recognition that copyright piracy in China represents a significant and growing threat to the PRC leadership’s goal of building an innovative economy and protecting and developing China’s creative industries,” said Jeremie Waterman, senior director for China at the U.S. Chamber. “We welcome China’s engagement with foreign industry and governments and we hope that reform of the copyright law and concrete enforcement actions will significantly reduce piracy.”
Waterman’s remarks came at the International Conference on Copyright Protection Trends, a two-day copyright protection forum in Wuhan, China. China’s National Copyright Administration Vice Minister Yan Xiaohong and other government, industry, and academic experts from China, the United States, and the European Union joined the GIPC in exchanging views on trends in global copyright protection and challenges facing creative industries. The forum is a joint initiative among China’s National Copyright Administration, the GIPC, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the EU-China IPR2 Project, and the Quality Brands Protection Committee.
“Reform of the copyright law is on the horizon, and the PRC government has a unique opportunity to create an environment that fuels opportunities for its innovators, creative industries, and consumers,” said Waterman. “In an age of incredible growth in Internet and cell phone usage, China must ensure that its legal framework for protection and enforcement of copyrighted works keeps pace.”
The GIPC welcomed China’s commitments last month at the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade to tackle Internet and library piracy. With 350 million Internet users and nearly 200 million mobile Internet users, China stands to benefit technologically and financially from a more robust legal regime that holds pirates accountable for theft of copyrighted works.
The Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center is working around the world to champion IP as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges.
The U.S. Chamber is the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.
For more information, please contact Trinh Nguyen at 202-463-5379.
