A total of 2.0077 million copyrights were registered in 2016, an increase of 22.33%, hitting a record new high, sources from the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) said recently. Among the 2.0077 million copyrights, 1.6 million of which were works, an increase of 18.63%, 400,000 of which were computer softwares, up 39.48%.

According to the statistics from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and Copyright Protection Center of China, in 2016, Beijing (693,421), Shanghai (217,249), Jiangsu (181,309), China Copyright Protection Center (139,928), Sichuan (75,378), Chongqing (71,836), Shandong (70,978) were the top regions and institutions in the number of work registration. In terms of types of works, the number of written works ranks the top with the number of 610,000, accounting for 38.1% the total, following by those of photographic works, fine arts, cinematographic works and music videos.

In terms of software copyright registration, in 2016, a total of 400,000 software copyrights were registered in China a year-on-year growth of 39.48%. In 2016, the national top ten regions in the number of copyright registration were Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Fujian, Shandong, Hubei, Anhui, whose software copyright registration accounted for 80% of the national total. Guangdong ranked the first position with software registration of 90,000, accounting for 22.49% of the total in China. The northwestern and southwestern areas witnessed a fast growth in registration.

According to the statistics from Copyright Protection Center of China, in 2016, the number of pledge registration of copyrights reached 327, down 46%. The pledge registration of works saw a markedly decrease, with a total number of 64 in 2016, down 84.4%. That of softwares increased by 33.5% with a total number of 263.

In 2016, the total number of copyright registrations broke 2 million in China, which created a successful opening for the 13th Five-Year Plan. China merely took two years to increase the number of software copyright registrations from 200,000 in 2014 to 400,000 in 2016 and enhance that of software copyright owners from 35,000 in 2011 to 116,000 in 2016. Those reflect the creation and innovation of works and softwares have been greatly improved and China has entered into a new stage of rapid development, according to a principal of NCAC.

Source: China IP News