Copyright Registration in China
In accordance with the 《Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China》, works of Chinese citizens, legal entities or other organisations, whether published or not, shall enjoy copyright. Any work of a foreigner and stateless person published for the first time and within the territory of China shall enjoy copyright within China in accordance with this Law. Any work of a foreigner which is published outside China and enjoys copyright under an agreement concluded between the country to which the author belongs and China or under an international treaty in which both countries are parties, shall be protected by this Law.
Registration Categories
- Written works
- Oral works
- Musical, dramatic, quyi, choreographic and acrobatic art works
- Works of fine-art and architecture
- Photographic works
- Cinematographic works and works created in a way similar to cinematography
- Drawings of engineering designs and product designs, maps, sketches and other graphic works as well as model works
- Computer software
- Other works as provided in law and administrative regulations
Required Information
- Application of legal entities: A copy of business license or business registration certificate
- Application of natural persons: identity proof of the applicant and identity document of the author
- Application form (with signature of the applicant)
- Name and address of the author
- Work description (Name, type, completion date and publication status of the work)
- Power of Attorney
- Other necessary information
Registration Procedures
- Application for upgrades
- Review by registration authority
- Collection of certificate
Time Required
- 1-2 months
Term of Validity
- Copyright of a natural person's work: throughout the author’s life and 50 years hereafter
- Copyright of a legal entity's or other organisations’ work: 50 years, inclusively, since publication
Should you have any enquires about Copyright Registration in China, please complete the form below and we will reply to you soon.
