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Copyright Registration in China


Can foreigners enjoy copyright in China?


Works of foreigners can enjoy copyright in China if they meet any one of the following three conditions:


1. The copyright enjoyed by foreigners or stateless persons in any of their works under an agreement concluded between China and the country to which they belong, or in which they have their habitual residences, or under an international treaty to which both countries are parties.


2. Foreigners and stateless persons whose works are first published in the territory of China shall enjoy copyright


3. Any work of an author of a country that has not concluded any agreement with China or that is not a party to any international treaty to which China is a party, and any work of a stateless person can enjoy the copyright in China, when it is first published in a member country of an international treaty to which China is a party, or simultaneously published in a member country of the treaty and in a non-member country.


Does copyright need to be registered in China?


Copyright does not need to be registered. Once a work is completed, the author enjoys copyright whether it is published or not. The principle of voluntariness is adopted in the registration of works’ copyright, and the copyright owners can decide whether to register their work.


However, registration of the copyright not only can help to protect the rights and interests of the authors, copyright owners and users of works, but also can offer evidence to solve disputes about the copyright ownership.


Forms of works


  • Written works;
  • Oral works;
  • Musical, dramatic, folk craft, choreographic, and acrobatic art works;
  • Fine art and architectural works;
  • Photographic works;
  • Audiovisual works;
  • Graphic works and models such as engineering design drawings, product design drawings, maps, and schematic diagrams;
  • Computer software;
  • Other intellectual achievements that meet the characteristics of the work.

Term of Validity


Copyright of a natural person’s work: the life of the author and 50 years after their death.


Copyright of a legal person or unincorperated organisation’s work: 50 years,ending on December 31 of the fiftieth year after the creation of the work


Start your Copyright Registration, we are here to help you How to register a copyright in China


Source: Copyright Law of China.

This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version