China’s new film royalty rule stirs debate1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteChina’s new regulation to charge copyright fees from Internet cafes and long-distance buses for playing movies stirred debate among the Chinese public.
The National Copyright Administration issued the regulation “in a bid to improve films’ copyright protection,” said Zhu Yongde, president of the China Film Copyright Association (CFCA).
For its part, the CFCA said royalties are only charged for playing movies in “film libraries” of Internet cafes, which have been created by cafe owners. However, the rules imposed a uniform pricing format for all Internet cafes, with or without a film library.
Further, a Beijing cafe owner said it was unfair to charge fees, as most customers watch movies through free video-sharing websites.
