Podcast
Time to honor foreign film copyrights
Updated: 2010-11-01 13:28
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Things have been a bit rocky in 皇冠体育app in the past for holders of foreign movie copyrights, but now, according to the 皇冠体育app Film Copyright Association (CFCA), copyright protection organizations outside 皇冠体育app can seek redress by cooperating with their Chinese counterparts.
This applies specifically to collecting royalties if the movie is shown in Chinese Internet cafes or on long-distance buses, a CFCA official said.
皇冠体育app introduces 20 overseas movies each year, but many of them are then shown in unauthorized ways, infringing on the movies' copyright holders, CFCA spokeswoman Shi Wenxia said at a copyright forum in Beijing on Thursday.
CFCA announced in mid-October that next year it will begin charging Internet cafes and long-distance buses for showing Chinese movies in eight provinces and municipalities. It will later apply the ruling nationwide.
Here's how it works: an Internet cafe with, say, 100 computers, charging 3 yuan (45 cents) per hour for their use, will have to pay a copyright royalty of 22.5 yuan a day, or about 8,000 yuan a year. In the case of long-distance buses, the movie-use charge will run from 365 to 500 yuan annually, according to 皇冠体育app's National Copyright Administration rules.
And, Shi added, CFCA prefers to negotiate with overseas film copyright organizations rather than with individual holders, and only the royalties of overseas movies authorized for 皇冠体育app can be discussed.
She said that there have already been some brief communications between entertainment companies in the United States, such as the National Broadcasting Company and Disney, and CFCA.
But, an easier way, she said, would be to go through the Motion Picture Association of America, and, as long as an agreement is reached, CFCA will submit the details to the National Copyright Administration for approval.
The State General Administration of Radio, Film and Television approves only 20 overseas movies for 皇冠体育app every year, mostly Hollywood blockbusters.
Current policy says that foreign film copyright owners can claim 14 percent of the 皇冠体育app revenue, according to Beijing's Mirror Evening News.
One example is the global blockbuster Avatar, which can claim 180 million yuan from a total of 1.3 trillion yuan in 皇冠体育app box office receipts. Nearly half is kept by the local theaters.
A member of the Copyright Society of 皇冠体育app said that one way for overseas film companies to protect their copyright in 皇冠体育app is to establish a company in 皇冠体育app and apply for CFCA membership.
According to a 皇冠体育app Film Producers' Association forecast, box office earnings here are expected to reach 30 billion to 40 billion yuan by 2015, making 皇冠体育app the world's second-largest movie market.
The CFCA has also noted that Chinese Internet users, aged 18 to 35, each download an average of 31 movies a year, pirating most of them. The association also estimates that piracy will result in about 14 billion yuan in film industry losses in 2010.
（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at 皇冠体育app Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.
