When your work is copied
in mainland China.

Identify the work and the right to enforce

Copyright protection for foreign works depends on the applicable statutory and treaty basis. A China registration is not a universal precondition to protection. A certificate is useful evidence, but it does not replace an examination of authorship, assignments and licences.

The review should distinguish protected expression from an idea, concept or functional feature. It also checks whether the relevant use was authorised or falls within an applicable exception.

Work that can be scoped

• Identify the work, rights holder and chain of title.
• Compare the original work with the alleged copy and record where and how it is used.
• Preserve online evidence and review platform-notice requirements.
• Prepare civil claims, settlement proposals and evidence of loss or infringer benefit.
• Assess administrative enforcement where infringement also harms the public interest, or a rights-holder criminal complaint where an offence may be involved.

Documents that make the review useful

Keep source files, dated drafts, publication records, authorship records and agreements with employees, photographers, studios or contractors. Identify any assignment or licence relied on, its territory and scope, and the person entitled to enforce it.

Read the ownership and evidence guide →

Foreign documents and proceedings

Formal proceedings may require documents establishing the foreign entity and representative’s authority, appropriate certification and Chinese translations. The requirements depend on the document, jurisdiction of origin, applicable treaty and receiving authority. Obtain the document list before commissioning notarisation or translation.