The 2011 Media Seminar on Hot Copyright Issues was held in Beijing on August 19-20, hosted by the National Copyright Administration. Some of the hot topics discussed are listed below. [Note: I'm no legal expert, so as always: use at your own risk.]
Can network media reproduce the reports of paper media arbitrarily?
Network media can’t reproduce the reports of other media without permission; “reprinted with permission” stating the original source is only applicable to licensed (print) media. Furthermore, a statement such as “content shall not be reproduced without newspaper permission,” is invalid because the article copyright belongs to the author.
How is the concept of “immediate removal” to be understood for ICPs (Internet content providers)?
Generally speaking, “immediate removal” of infringing content can be interpreted as between 12-24 hours, while “prompt removal” means within less than 3-7 days.
How can copyright infringement by P2P downloading be stopped?
To stop illegal downloading, related laws should increase punishment. The awareness of law-abiding citizens must also be raised.
How should liability in case of serial reprinting in network media be dealt with?
Reproducing works protected by other media without permission constitutes infringement. Infringing parties can be sued individually or jointly.
Will the “statutory license” be extended from magazine and newspapers to reprints in network media?
Compared with reprinting in traditional media, network reprints will have a bigger influence on copyright owners, thus the “statutory license” can’t be applied to network media.
How can copyright risks be avoided by small professional websites?
If small professional websites want to reproduce the works of big media, signing a series of agreements and paying related fees every year are the best ways to avoid copyright risks.
Source: Hot issues on copyright in network environment (in Chinese)
