Peimeng · China IP Newsletter Feb 1-7

Kuaishou was Regulated to Delete 10,000 Infringing Videos

China Audio-Video Copyright Association issued an announcement on February 1, requested Kuaishou platform to stop infringement and remove the first batch of 10,000 suspected infringing videos. In mid-January, the Music Collection Association had filed an "infringement and removal complaint" on the Kuaishou App to the Apple Store and the six major domestic stores. Apple Store officials also responded to an email requesting Kuaishou to resolve the copyright issue with the Association as soon as possible. Otherwise, Kuaishou App Will be removed from Apple Store. China Audio-Video Copyright Association stated that in recent years, members have continuously reported to the Association the infringement of the use of music recordings on the short video platform. It hopes that the Association will crackdown on infringements and protect the rights of right holders by the law.

Xi's article on intellectual property rights protection to be published

BEIJING - An article by President Xi Jinping on comprehensively strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) and stimulating the vitality of innovation to foster a new development paradigm published on February 1. Innovation is the primary driving force behind development, and protecting IPR is equal to protecting innovation, Xi stresses in the article. IPR protection matters to the modernization of China's governance system and capacity, high-quality development, people's happiness, the country's opening up and national security, the article adds. The article says China has made historic achievements in IPR protection. China is changing from a big IPR importer to a big IPR producer, and from pursuing IPR quantity to improving quality, the article notes. The article highlights the need to comprehensively strengthen IPR protection from the perspective of national strategy, so as to promote the building of a modernized economy, stimulate the innovation vitality of the whole society, and foster a new development paradigm. (Source: China Daily)

China Granted Geographical Indication Products 2,391 Accumulative

Geographical indications are useful for increasing the added value of products and farmers' income, protecting consumer rights, promoting local economic development, and protecting traditional cultural heritage. In 2020, China National Intellectual Property Administration issued the Administrative Measures to promote the unified recognition of geographical indications, establish a dynamic management mechanism of "entry and exit", and strengthen the coordinated supervision of companies using geographical indications and special signs. Simultaneously, a pilot reform of the approval of the use of special signs for geographical indications was carried out, and the approval time for the use of special signs was greatly reduced. In 2020, CNIPA approved the protection of six geographical indication products, approved 1,052 companies to use geographical indication special signs, and approved 765 registration of geographical indication trademarks. According to preliminary calculations, market entities' direct output value using special geographical indications in 2020 totaled 639.806 billion yuan.

China crackdown on well-known fansub groups to protect intellectual property rights

China is cracking down on the unofficial fansub groups who create subtitles for foreign TV shows in a bid to tighten the protection on intellectual property rights. Shanghai police have cracked down on an unofficial fansub group, "Renren Film and Television Subtitle Group", one of the most watched video sites for Chinese audience to spin-watch overseas TV shows. The action involved 20,000 infringing episodes of TV shows, 14 suspects and 16 million yuan ($2.47 million) in a campaign in September, media reported. After investigation, police found that the group has been providing unauthorized film and TV shows obtained from overseas pirate forums to Chinese viewers and hiring teams to translate the TV shows at 400 yuan per episodes, uploading it to its app server and websites, generating illegal profits by collecting website membership and advertising fees.