Chapter V Legal Liability


  Article 45
  Anyone who commits any of the following acts of  infringement  shall  bear
  civil  liability  for  such  remedies  as  ceasing  the  infringing  act,
  eliminating  its  ill  effects,  making  a  public  apology  or  paying
  compensation or damages, etc., depending on the circumstances:
  (1) publishing a work without the permission of the copyright owner;
  (2) publishing a work of joint authorship as  a  work  created  solely  by
  oneself without the permission of the other co-authors;
  (3) having one's name indicated on a work created by others, in  order  to
  seek personal fame and  gain,  where  one  has  not  participated  in  the
  creation of the work;
  (4) distorting or mutilating a work created by others;
  (5)  exploiting  a  work  by  performance,  broadcasting,  exhibition,
  distribution, making cinematographic,  television  or  video  productions,
  adaptation, translation, annotation, and compilation, or by  other  means,
  without the permission of the copyright owner, unless  otherwise  provided
  in this Law;
  (6) exploiting a work created by others  without  paying  remuneration  as
  prescribed by regulations;
  (7)  broadcasting  a  live  performance  without  the  permission  of  the
  performer; or (8) committing other acts of infringement of  copyright  and
  of other rights and interests related to copyright.
  Article 46
  Anyone who commits any of the following acts of  infringement  shall  bear
  civil  liability  for  such  remedies  as  ceasing  the  infringing  act,
  eliminating  its  ill  effects,  making  a  public  apology  or  paying
  compensation for damages, etc., depending on the circumstances,  and  may,
  in addition, be subjected by the copyright  administration  department  to
  such administrative penalties as confiscation of unlawful income from  the
  act, or imposition of a fine:
  (1) plagiarizing a work created by others;
  (2) reproducing and distributing a work, for commercial purposes,  without
  the permission of the copyright owner;
  (3) publishing a book where the exclusive right of publication belongs  to
  another publisher;
  (4) producing and publishing a sound recording or  video  recording  of  a
  performance without the permission of the performer;
  (5) reproducing and distributing a  sound  recording  or  video  recording
  produced by others without the permission of its producer;
  (6) reproducing and distributing a radio programme or television programme
  without the permission of the radio station or  television  station  which
  has produced that programme; or
  (7) producing or selling a work of fine art where  the  signature  of  the
  author is forged.

  Article 47
  A party who fails to perform his contractual obligations, or performs them
  in a manner which is not in conformity with the agreed  terms  shall  bear
  civil liability in accordance with the relevant provisions of the  General
  Principles of the Civil Law.
  Article 48
  A dispute over copyright infringement may  be  settled  by  mediation.  If
  mediation is unsuccessful, or if one of  the  parties  retracts  from  his
  promise after  a  mediation  agreement  is  reached,  proceedings  may  be
  instituted in a people's court. Proceedings may also  instituted  directly
  in a people's court if the parties do not wish to settle  the  dispute  by
  mediation.
  Article 49
  A dispute over a copyright contract may be settled by  mediation.  It  may
  also, in accordance with the arbitration clause of contract, or a  written
  arbitration agreement concluded after the contract  has  been  signed,  be
  submitted to a copyright arbitration body for arbitration.
  The parties shall implement the arbitration award. If one of  the  parties
  fails to implement the award, the other party  may  apply  to  a  people's
  court for execution.  If the people's court which has  been  requested  to
  execute an arbitration award finds that the arbitration award is  contrary
  to law, it shall have the right to refuse the execution.
  Where the people's court refuses to  execute  an  arbitration  award,  the
  parties may institute proceedings in  a  people's  court  for  contractual
  dispute.
  Where no arbitration clause is stipulated in the contract and  no  written
  arbitration agreement is concluded after the contract has been signed, any
  party may institute proceedings directly in a people's court.
  Article 50
  Any party  who  is  not  satisfied  with  an  administrative  penalty  may
  institute proceedings in a people's court within three months from receipt
  of the written decision  of  the  administrative  penalty.  If  the  party
  neither institutes proceedings nor executes the decision within  the  time
  limit, the copyright administration department may  apply  to  a  people's
  court for execution.
　　Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions


  Article 51
  For the purpose of this Law, the term "zhuzuoquan"  (author's  rights)  is
  synonymous with the term "banquan" (copyright).
  Article 52
  The term "reproduction" as used in this Law means the act of producing one
  or  more  copies  of  a  work  by  printing,  photocopying,  copying,
  lithographing, making a sound recording or video recording, duplicating  a
  recording, or duplicating a photographic work or by other means.
  The  term  "reproduction"  as  used  in  this  Law  does  not  cover  the
  construction or  manufacture  of  industrial  products  on  the  basis  of
  drawings of engineering designs  and  product  designs,  and  descriptions
  thereof.
  Article 53
  Measures for the protection of  computer  software  shall  be  established
  separately by the State Council.
  Article 54
  The implementing regulations  of  this  Law  shall  be  drawn  up  by  the
  copyright administration department under  the  State  Council  and  shall
  enter into force after approval by the State Council.
  Article 55
  The rights of copyright owners, publishers, performers, producers of sound
  recordings and video recordings, radio stations and television stations as
  provided for in this Law shall, if their term of protection  as  specified
  in this Law has not yet expired on the date of entry into  force  of  this
  Law, be protected in accordance with this Law.  Any act of infringement or
  breach of contract committed prior to the entry into  force  of  this  Law
  shall be dealt  with  in  accordance  with  the  relevant  regulations  or
  policies in force at the time when such act was committed.
  Article 56
  This Law shall enter into force as of June 1, 1991.

  Note:
  [*1] This English version is the preliminary English translation  provided
  by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the  Standing  Committee  of  the
  National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. It shall  be
  republished after being further revised and finalized by  the  Legislative
  Affairs Commission of the Standing  Committee  of  the  National  People's
  Congress of the People's Republic of China. - The Editor