China NAC and WIPO sign MOU to Cooperate in All Respects of Copyright

The National Copyright Administration of China (NAC) and World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Further Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation between NAC and WIPO (hereinafter referred to as “MOU”). Both sides announced to conduct comprehensive cooperation in the filed of copyright.

According to the MOU, both sides will build on the current communication and cooperation to enhance copyright publicity and personnel training, to promote high-level and peer-to-peer exchanges, paving the way for future cooperation.

WIPO is a self-financing organization of United Nations with 188 member states. The Chinese government acceded to it in 1980.

Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (hereinafter referred to as “Audiovisual Treaty”) is a milestone in the past cooperation between China and WIPO.

A diplomatic meeting on the protection of audiovisual performances was convened by WIPO in Beijing in June, 2012, which resulted in the conclusion of Audiovisual Treaty. It is the first international copyright treaty over the past two decades, and also marks the first international copyright treaty concluded in China.

At the time of accession to WIPO, the copyright industry of China had not come into being, Yan Xiaohong, Deputy Commissioner of National Copyright Administration, said in an interview. But since then copyright industry has gone through law amendment and improvement.

Beside Audiovisual Treaty, WIPO exerted many efforts in China, including the training of professionals and setting up of a golden prize for creative copyright,” said Yan.

Noting the current development trend of copyright protection, Director General of WIPO Francis Gurry said with the emerging internet, global creative industry has undergone dramatic change, so does the way creative industry share with others. Bilateral cooperation is thus becoming increasingly important. [Chinese version is available on thepaper.cn