The National Copyright Administration (NCA) is inviting comments for the draft amendment of the Copyright Law from the public at its website from March 31 onward. The draft clearly provides a series of rules such as introducing extension of power forces management of Non-member of Copyright Collective Management Organization (CCMO), newly adding a provision of the copyright restrictions, defining the mechanism of payment and legal remedies in the process of implementation of the legal license and increaseing the　maximum level of compensation for copyright infringement.

The draft stipulates guidelines for the management system of extension of power forces. Moreover, the draft newly adding a provision of the copyright restrictions and the the obligation of submitting the record, prompt payment to CCMO and informing the source in the process of implementation of the legal license.

Article 72 also increased the compensation standard for copyright infringement to 1 million yuan from the original 500,000 yuan limit and regulated any person deliberately infringing the copyright more than twice should be liable to pay the compensatio 1 to 3 times of the amount of illegal income.

The newly released draft amendment to the Copyright Law has provoked great controversy among famous local songwriters as it allows sound recordings to be used by others without the owner's permission. According to the Article 46 and 48, three months after a recording is released it can be used by non-copyright owners as long as they apply with NCA, pay remuneration to the owners via the Music Copyright Society of China, and clearly state the copyright owner. At the symposium held by the Images Copyright Society of China, the delegates express their appreciation for the extension of power forces of images copyright protection.

(China IP News)