China is drafting its first internet-specific laws to protect copyright on-line for the benefit of copyright owners both in China and abroad. It follows concerns of confusion expressed last month when China’s Supreme People’s Court ruled to extend existing copyright laws to the internet.
Under the new proposal, fines will be substantially increased from the limits set out in the country’s existing 10 year-old copyright provisions.
Anyone who cancels or alters an author’s works without permission shall be guilty of an offence. It will also be an offence to break encryption set by copyright owners. In addition, the property rights attributed to the copyright owner will be strengthened.
