What is the National Copyright Administration? National Copyright Administration Review

In March 2013, the First Plenary Session of the 12th National People's Congress approved the "Plan for the Reform of the State Council's Institutions and Transformation of Their Functions" and the "Notice of the State Council on Institutional Setup" (Guo Fa [2013] No. 14), integrating the responsibilities of the General Administration of Press and Publication and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to form the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, which also bears the name of the National Copyright Administration.

In March 2018, the CPC Central Committee issued the "Plan for Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions", which transferred the press and publication management responsibilities of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television to the Central Propaganda Department. The Central Propaganda Department also displays the name of the National Press and Publication Administration (National Copyright Administration) to the outside world.

History

The National Copyright Administration of the People's Republic of China was established in 1985.

On June 28, 1985, the Ministry of Culture submitted a proposal to the State Council to establish the National Copyright Administration in the Ministry of Culture. On July 25, the State Council approved the proposal of the Ministry of Culture and decided to change the former Publishing Bureau of the Ministry of Culture to the National Publishing Administration. The National Publishing Administration and the National Copyright Administration are one organization with two names. The Director of the National Copyright Administration is concurrently the Director of the National Publishing Administration. The first Director is Bian Chunguang.

In January 1987, the State Council decided to abolish the National Publishing Administration under the Ministry of Culture and set up the Press and Publication Administration directly under the State Council, retaining the National Copyright Administration and continuing to maintain the form of one organization with two names. In December of the same year, Song Muwen, deputy director of the Press and Publication Administration, concurrently served as director of the National Copyright Administration, and Liu Gao, deputy director of the Press and Publication Administration, concurrently served as deputy director of the National Copyright Administration. In May 1993, Yu Youxian became director of the Press and Publication Administration and concurrently director of the National Copyright Administration. In 1993, Shen Rengan became full-time deputy director of the National Copyright Administration. In October 2000, Shi Zongyuan became director of the Press and Publication Administration and concurrently director of the National Copyright Administration. Shen Rengan continued to serve as full-time deputy director of the National Copyright Administration. In May 2004, Yan Xiaohong became deputy director of the National Copyright Administration. In December 2005, Long Xinmin became director of the General Administration of Press and Publication and concurrently director of the National Copyright Administration. In April 2007, Liu Binjie was appointed Director of the General Administration of Press and Publication, concurrently serving as Director of the National Copyright Administration.

In 2001, the Press and Publication Administration (National Copyright Administration) was upgraded to a ministerial-level unit and renamed the General Administration of Press and Publication (National Copyright Administration), which remains one organization with two names.

In March 2013, the First Plenary Session of the 12th National People's Congress approved the "Plan for the Reform of the State Council's Institutions and Transformation of Their Functions" and the "Notice of the State Council on Institutional Setup" (Guo Fa [2013] No. 14), integrating the responsibilities of the General Administration of Press and Publication and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to form the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, which also bears the name of the National Copyright Administration.

In March 2018, the CPC Central Committee issued the “Plan for Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions”, which clearly stated, “In order to strengthen the Party’s centralized and unified leadership over news and public opinion work, strengthen the management of publishing activities, and develop and prosper the socialist publishing industry with Chinese characteristics, the news and publishing management responsibilities of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television will be transferred to the Central Propaganda Department. The Central Propaganda Department will also be known as the National Press and Publication Administration (National Copyright Administration).”

On April 16, 2018, the National Copyright Administration was officially unveiled.

Functional scope

From March 2013 to March 2018, the functional agency of the National Copyright Administration was the Copyright Management Department of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, with the main responsibilities of:

1. Participate in the drafting of copyright laws and regulations, formulate rules and policies on copyright management, protection and use, and organize their implementation;

2. Formulate national copyright plans and organize their implementation, and undertake relevant work for the implementation of the national intellectual property strategy outline;

3. Supervise the implementation of copyright laws and regulations, and deploy, organize and guide national copyright administration and law enforcement;

4. Organize the investigation and punishment of major and foreign-related illegal and irregular acts in the field of copyright, organize and coordinate special actions to combat copyright infringement and piracy, and undertake the reward work for units and individuals who have made contributions to combating copyright infringement and piracy;

5. Responsible for online copyright supervision, maintaining online copyright order, and organizing the investigation and handling of major and foreign-related online infringement and piracy cases;

6. Organize and promote the national software legalization work, undertake the relevant work of the Inter-ministerial Joint Conference Office for Promoting the Use of Genuine Software, and organize and coordinate the establishment of a long-term mechanism for software legalization;

7. Undertake work related to the construction of the copyright public service system, and supervise and manage the registration, filing, and certification of works, pledges, and copyright contracts;

8. Promote the development of the copyright industry, supervise and manage copyright evaluation, transactions, agency and other matters, guide the management of state-owned copyright assets, and be responsible for carrying out national copyright demonstration work;

9. Undertake copyright foreign affairs and international response work, be responsible for contacting international copyright organizations, and undertake the negotiation, signing and implementation of multilateral and bilateral copyright treaties and agreements;

10. To handle copyright matters involving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan;

11. Supervise and manage the copyright certification of foreign works, and supervise and manage foreign copyright certification agencies and representative offices of foreign and international copyright organizations in China;

12. To undertake the approval work for the establishment of copyright collective management organizations, supervise and manage their activities in accordance with the law, and guide the work of copyright industry associations and social groups;

13. Supervise and manage the legally licensed use of works, and be responsible for the use and management of works that the state owns copyright;

14. Organize and carry out nationwide copyright publicity and education activities;

15. Undertake other matters assigned by the leaders of the General Administration.

Before the institutional reform in 2018, the National Copyright Administration was the copyright administrative department of the State Council, responsible for copyright management throughout the country. Its main responsibilities were:

1. Formulate the outline of the national copyright strategy and policies and measures for copyright protection, management and use, and organize their implementation; undertake the management and use of works owned by the state, and manage the copyright registration and legally permitted use of works;

2. Undertake matters related to copyright treaties involving foreign countries, and handle copyright relations involving foreign countries and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan;

3. Organize the investigation and punishment of major and foreign-related illegal and irregular acts in the field of copyright;

4. Organize and promote the work of software legalization.

Organization

The substantive subordinate of the National Copyright Administration is the Copyright Management Department, which consists of four divisions (offices):

1. General Affairs Office

2. Social Services Department

(III) Law Enforcement and Supervision Division

4. Office of International Affairs

Institutional Leadership

Directors

Bian Chunguang: 1985-(Concurrently Director of the National Press and Publication Administration)

Song Muwen: 1987-(Concurrently Deputy Director of the Press and Publication Administration)

Yu Youxian: 1993-(Concurrently Director of the Press and Publication Administration)

Shi Zongyuan: October 2000 - December 2005

Long Xinmin: December 2005 - April 2007

Liu Binjie: April 2007 - March 2013

Tsai's visit to North Korea: March 2013 - September 2016

Zhuang Rongwen: September 2016 - August 21, 2018