Partnership ramping up copyright in cyberspace

The Copyright Protection Center of China and Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group recently announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement to promote copyright protection online through services online.

According to the agreement, they will establish systems for sharing profits and resolving online copyright disputes, as well as fighting piracy, promoting commercialization and conducting research into copyright rules in trade.

"Alibaba is a big player in the Chinese internet arena and has taken a leading role in exploring copyright protection, governance and innovation," Zhang Jiandong, director at the technology department of the CPCC, told China Intellectual Property News.

The collaboration will help integrate public copyright services with the internet, Zhang said. It will be a practical exploration and a pilot application to promote the modernization of the system and governance capabilities for online copyrights under the Digital Copyright Identifier system, he added.

The DCI is an innovative system proposed by the CPCC in 2019, which aims to provide better copyright services in a digital network environment.

Under the cooperation, Alibaba said it will join hands with the CPCC to implement the DCI standards and its applications, as part of the company's effort to enhance the governance and innovation of online copyrights.

As the internet continue to develop, China has seen online businesses, such as e-commerce, short video and music sharing platforms, emerge over the past few years. In 2018, China's online copyright industry generated 742.3 billion yuan ($106.56 billion) in business revenue, up 16.6 percent year-on-year, according to a report released by the National Copyright Administration in 2019.

The report showed news media, games and videos are the three major pillars of China's online copyright industry, accounting for 85 percent of the total market.

Li Xihan, director at the IP department of Alibaba, said the CPCC is the only national copyright public service organization in the country and that it plays a key role in promoting the implementation of copyright policies.

The cooperation will also help the two parties explore effective management for copyright protection in the digital economy era for China and the world, Li said.

liangkaiyan@chinadaily.com.cn