Article 1
This Law is enacted, in accordance with the Constitution, for the purpose of protecting the copyright of authors in their literary, artistic and scientific works and the rights and interests related to copyright, encouraging the creation and dissemination of works conducive to the building of a socialist society that is advanced ethically and materially, and promoting the development and flourishing of socialist culture and sciences.
Article 2
Works of Chinese citizens, legal persons or unincorporated organizations, whether published or not, shall have copyright in accordance with this Law.
The copyright enjoyed by foreigners or stateless persons in any of their works under an agreement concluded between China and the country to which the authors belong or in which they have their habitual residences, or under an international treaty to which both countries are parties, shall be protected by this Law.
Any work of foreigners and stateless persons published for the first time within the territory of China shall have copyright in accordance with this Law.
Any work of an author from a country that has not concluded any agreement with China or does not join an international treaty to which China is a party and any work of a stateless person, which is published for the first time in a member country of an international treaty to which China is a party, or simultaneously published in a member country of the treaty and in a non-member country, shall be protected by this Law.
Article 3
For purposes of this Law, the term "works" means intellectual achievements in the fields of literature, art and science, which are original and can be expressed in a certain form, including:
(1) written works;
(2) oral works;
(3) musical, dramatic, quyi, choreographic and acrobatic art works;
(4) works of the fine arts and architecture;
(5) photographic works;
(6) audiovisual works;
(7) graphic works such as drawings of engineering designs, product designs, maps and sketches, and model works;
(8) computer software; and
(9) other intellectual achievements conforming to the characteristics of the works.
Article 4
Copyright owners and copyright-related right owners may not violate the Constitution and laws, and may not harm public interests when exercising their rights. The State shall supervise and administrate the publication and dissemination of works in accordance with the law.
Article 5
This Law shall not apply to:
(1) laws and regulations, resolutions, decisions and orders of State organs, other documents of a legislative, administrative or judicial nature and the official translations thereof;
(2) mere information about facts or happenings; and
(3) calendars, numerical tables and forms of general use, and formulas.
Article 6
Measures for the protection of copyright in works of folk literature and art shall be formulated separately by the State Council.
Article 7
The competent department of copyright of the State shall be responsible for the administration of copyright nationwide; the local competent departments of copyright at or above the county level shall be responsible for the administration of copyright in their respective administrative areas.
Article 8
Copyright owners and copyright-related right owners may authorize collective administration organizations of copyrights to exercise their copyright or copyright-related rights. A collective administration organization of copyrights established in accordance with the law is a not-for-profit legal person, which may, upon authorization, claim rights in its own name for the copyright owners or the copyright-related right owners and participate as a party in litigation, arbitration or mediation activities concerning the copyright or copyright-related rights.
Collective administration organizations of copyrights shall collect royalties from users based on the authorization. The standard for the collection of royalties shall be determined by the collective administration organizations of copyrights and representatives of the users through consultation; if consultation fails, the parties may file an application to the competent department of copyright of the State for a ruling; if the said parties are not satisfied with the ruling, they may bring a lawsuit in the people's court, or the parties may directly bring a lawsuit in the people's court.