Copyright and Fan Productivity in China: A Cross-jurisdictional Perspective

271 Pages·2017·4.7 MB·English

by  Tianxiang He (auth.)

Tianxiang He
Copyright
and Fan
Productivity
in China
A Cross-jurisdictional Perspective
Copyright and Fan Productivity in China
Tianxiang He
Copyright and Fan
Productivity in China
A Cross-jurisdictional Perspective
123
Tianxiang He
Schoolof Law
City University of HongKong
Hong KongS.A.R.
People’sRepublic ofChina
ISBN978-981-10-6507-1 ISBN978-981-10-6508-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-6508-8
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017951420
©SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2017
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For my love, Yuzhe
Acknowledgements
This book is based on my Ph.D. thesis completed at the Institute for Globalization
andInternationalRegulation(IGIR)oftheFacultyofLawofMaastrichtUniversity.
Thiscouldneverhavehappenedwithoutthepatience,guidance,andsupportofmy
supervisors Prof. Anselm Kamperman Sanders and Dr. Ana Ramalho, who pro-
vided me with vast opportunities to practice my teaching skills and to forge my
thesis with the finest materials that I could access.
My special thanks go to my once officemate, colleague, and friend Agustín
Parise, who has kindly shared with me his valuable research experiences such as
drafting articles and how to get them published during our office time, without
which I may not have had the courage to try in the first place. I will always
rememberthedaysthatwehavespentinD0.223andourfriendshipwhichreminds
me that I am not alone in this country.
There are many friends and colleagues in and around our faculty that I would
like to thank sincerely, namely Rogier Creemers, Patrick Smit, Jie Wang, Yaojin
Peng, Tian Lu, Anke Moerland, Cees Mulder, Dalindyebo Shabalala, Sophie Tax,
Suzanne Jongste, Licette Poll, Viorelia Gasca, Julieta Marotta, Xiahong Chen,
Haiyan Li, Stefan Kulk, Jing Liu, Can Huang, Jinjin Zhao, Wenqing Liao,
Zhenglong Sun, Wencheng Huang, Chien-Chih Lu, Xiang Li, Jinyang Han, Yuan
Gao,YuanTian,TaotaoYue,HuizhenChen,XuesongLi,JunpingLiu,Hongguang
Nie, Jiangqiu Ge, Xiaowei Yu, Yingying Jing, Mengxing Lu, Yu Zhao, Xi Chen,
Liang Yu, Liuhu Luo, Mengmeng Shi, Ancui Liu, Wei Zhao, Wenzhao Qiao, Kai
Liu,forallyoursupportandjoyfulmomentsthatmademefeelathomeduringthis
long and winding trip.
I would like to sincerely thank Prof. Jun Feng, my Ph.D. supervisor in Renmin
University of China. He encouraged me to pursue a doctoral degree outside China
backin2010,andheisalsoafatherlyrolemodelforme.Specialthanksalsogoto
Prof.YingLiu,mysupervisorduringmymaster'sstudies.Hetreatedmeashisson,
and he makes me feel that he is always there for me.
vii
viii Acknowledgements
My acknowledgements also go to my colleagues at City University of Hong
Kong, who welcomed me wholehearted and provide me with the best and unpar-
alleled work environment.
Lastbutcertainlynotleast,Iwouldliketothankmyfamily.MywifeYuzheLi
inspired me to pursue an academic career. Her unconditional and continuous love
and support are the reason that I was able to devote myself to this book. I can
always feel her love, without which the conclusion of this thesis would have been
unimaginable. My love also goes to my father Xiuwen He and my mother Xinjie
Wang, and they let me know that a safe harbor will always be there for me.
I dedicate my book to them, for their love, support, and endless care.
The research for this book was completed on May 1, 2017.
Hong Kong S.A.R., People’s Republic of China
June 2017
Contents
1 Introduction.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.1 Challenges for Copyright in the Digital Age .... .... ..... .... 2
1.1.1 The Inadequacy of Regulating Fan Behavior by Law. .... 4
1.1.2 Prosumer Versus Consumer ... .... .... .... ..... .... 5
1.1.3 Fans and the Expansion of Copyright.... .... ..... .... 6
1.1.4 Toleration Versus Cooperation . .... .... .... ..... .... 7
1.2 The Research Question..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 9
1.3 Methodology and Outline of the Book. .... .... .... ..... .... 10
2 The Rise of Fan Activities and the Tension with Copyright
Protection in the Digital Environment.... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.1 The New Media and Fan Activities ... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.1.1 Fansubs.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 14
2.1.2 Fanfics, Doujinshis, and Scanlations. .... .... ..... .... 28
2.1.3 Fanvids, AMVs, and Video Parodies .... .... ..... .... 30
2.2 Behind the Fans Activities: Challenges of the Digital
Revolution . .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 31
2.2.1 Challenges to the Copyright System. .... .... ..... .... 32
2.2.2 Behind the Challenges: Technology Developments... .... 39
2.3 Conclusion. .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 44
3 Fight with the Dragon.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 47
3.1 Barriers or Defenders: The Failure Caused by the Great
“Cultural” Wall of China ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 48
3.1.1 Chinese Political Culture.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 49
3.1.2 The WTO Case DS362 and DS363.. .... .... ..... .... 65
3.1.3 Censorship ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 67
3.1.4 Import Quotas. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 97
3.1.5 Participatory Culture and Civic Engagement... ..... .... 102
3.1.6 Market and Fans.... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 113
ix
x Contents
3.2 Economic Problems .. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 115
3.2.1 Information Asymmetry .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 115
3.2.2 Public Goods.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 116
3.2.3 Transaction Costs ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 117
3.3 Conclusion. .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 119
4 A Comparative Examination of Fan Activities Under Current
Legal Frameworks of the United States, China, and Japan.... .... 123
4.1 International Standards..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 124
4.2 Legal Determination at National Level. .... .... .... ..... .... 124
4.2.1 Fansubs.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 125
4.2.2 Doujinshis and Fanfics ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 130
4.2.3 Fanvids, AMVs, and Video Parodies .... .... ..... .... 137
4.3 Possible Defenses.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 141
4.3.1 Constitutional Defenses... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 141
4.3.2 Civil Law Defenses.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 147
4.4 The Existing Solutions..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 158
4.4.1 Governmental Solutions .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 158
4.4.2 Non-governmental Solutions... .... .... .... ..... .... 170
4.5 Conclusion. .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 193
5 Conclusions and Recommendations.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 197
5.1 Conclusions .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 198
5.2 Recommendations.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 199
5.2.1 A Feasible Solution.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 202
5.2.2 Part I: An Open Innovation Mechanism .. .... ..... .... 205
5.2.3 Part II: The Copyright Law of China
in the Near Future... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 217
5.2.4 Conclusive Notes ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 226
5.3 The Future . .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 228
Curriculum Vitae .. .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 235
Bibliography .. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 237
Abbreviations
ACTA Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
AMV Anime Music Video
BBS Bulletin Board System
Berne Convention Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic
Works
CC Creative Commons
CCL Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China
CCP Chinese Communist Party
CCTV China Central Television
CD Compact Disc
CD-R Compact Disc-Recordable
CJEU Court of Justice of the European Union
CNNIC China Internet Network Information Center
DMCA Digital Millennium Copyright Act
DMZ Demilitarized Zone
DRM Digital Rights Management
DVD Digital Versatile Disc
EU European Union
FTP File Transfer Protocol
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
IP Intellectual Property
IRC Internet Relay Chat
ISP Internet Service Provider
JASRAC Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and
Publishers
JAILED Japanese Animation Legal Enforcement Division
JCL Japanese Copyright Law
LD LaserDiscs
MFN Most-Favored Nation
NAP No Action Policy
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