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Copyright Protection

Copyright (alternative name: copyright) is a type of intellectual property, which is used to protect the original expression of ideas. Copyright is the unique property right conferred on the original creator, including the use of copies of the work for profit, public performance, screening or broadcasting of the work, and so on. Anyone who uses the exclusive rights attached to the work without approval may infringe the copyright of the work.

​Validity Period of Copyright

The copyright is valid until 50 years after the death of the creator concerned.

Copyright protection scope

Since Hong Kong is already a member of the Berne Convention, the copyright can be extended to other countries within the member country without application.

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

The Berne Convention passed in 1886 involves the protection of the rights of works and their authors. It provides writers, musicians, poets, painters and other creators with control over how to use their works, what to use, and how to use them. It is based on three basic principles and contains a series of regulations that determine the minimum protections to be granted, as well as special regulations for developing countries that wish to use these minimum protections.

Three basic principles:

1. Works from a Contracting State#

2. Protection shall not be conditional on compliance with any formalities#

3. Protection is not limited to whether there is protection in the country of origin of the work (the principle of "independence" of protection).
#If the protection period stipulated by the contracting party is longer than the minimum limit stipulated in the "Convention", work in the country of origin will no longer be protected. Once the protection of the country of origin ceases, the protection may be deprived.

#The author is the work of the country’s national or the work published for the first time in the country

​#The principle of "automatic" protection

China copyright registration

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Type of registration
  • literature

  • Dramatic works

  • Art work

  • musical work

  • The typography of published versions of sound records, films, broadcasts, cable programs and literary, dramatic and musical works, and performers’ performances, etc.

  • Copyright works transmitted over the Internet

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Time required

The National Copyright Administration will complete the formalities within 30 working days after receiving the registration application. The applicant shall supplement and correct the materials (if any) within 2 months after receiving the supplement and correction notice, and the National Copyright Administration will complete the formalities within 30 working days after receiving the supplement and correction materials.

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