CISAC Discusses China Copyright Bill in High-Level Meeting with Legislative Commission of National People’s Congress
A CISAC delegation met with members of the Legislative Affairs Commission (LAC) of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China on 29 November. This meeting allowed CISAC to convey its position and comments before any final decision is made on China’s copyright bill to LAC NPC Vice-Chairman Zhang Rongshun and LAC NPC Civil Law Department Director General Jia Dongming.
The bill, initially prepared by the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), is currently under review by the State Council Legislative Affairs Office (SCLAO). Once this review has concluded, the SCLAO will forward the bill to LAC for final review before it is presented to the NPC for adoption.
As the LAC will review the text and will be able to make any changes to the bill, this meeting with the CISAC delegation has been highly anticipated among the global creator community. The delegation was able to discuss the visual artists’ resale right, authorship of audiovisual works, collective management of rights as well as ISP liability and safe harbour among others.
The delegation was headed by CISAC Vice President Jia Zhang-ke. It included creator and JASRAC chairman Haku Ide and CISAC Board of Directors members Michio Asiashi (JASRAC), Robert Ashcroft (PRS for Music), Eric Baptiste (SOCAN), Marcelo Castello Branco (UBC), Brett Cottle (APRA/AMCOS), Javier Gutiérrez Vicén (VEGAP), Elizabeth Matthews (ASCAP), Michael O’Neil (BMI), Patrick Raude (SACD), Reverend Abe Sibiya (SAMRO), András Szinger (ARTISJUS) and Jean-Noël Tronc (SACEM). Also attending were society executives Qu Jingming (MCSC), Scot Morris (APRA/AMCOS), Thimo Prziklang (GEMA) and Satoshi Watanbe (JASRAC); and CISAC Director General Gadi Oron and Regional Director for Asia-Pacific Benjamin Ng.
CISAC has been in regular contact with the LAC. In 2014 and 2015, CISAC has organised meetings for LAC delegations at CISAC as well as member societies. In May 2014, a delegation met with ADAGP as well as Prolitteris. In April 2015, a delegation met with Viscopy as well as APRA. Later that year in September, a delegation met with CISAC, SABAM and GESAC in Brussels.