Copyrights rise as awareness expands

China has set a new record for copyrights, processing more than 2 million new registrations last year, a rise of 22.3 percent compared with 2015, the National Copyright Administration of China said on Monday.

Nearly 1.6 million registrations were publications including literary works and photographs, while 407,774 were software, according to the administration.

The number of software copyright registrations has increased about 40 percent compared with 2015. More than 80 percent of the software works were registered in 10 cities in Guangdong province, along with Beijing and Shanghai.

China’s copyright registrations have seen a steady, rapid rise. The number has increased about fourfold since 2011, when the number of copyright registrations was 570,000.

In 2013, China’s copyright registrations hit what was then a record 1 million.

“The increase in copyright registrations shows the rise of people’s copyright protection awareness,” said Du Ying, a professor of intellectual property rights at Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing. The State’s strategy to promote copyright protection and innovation has created a positive environment for copyright, she added.

“Registration is used as concrete evidence when disputes arise,” she said.

The vitality of China’s cultural products market contributed to the rise, Du said.