National Copyright Administration: Music Platforms Are Not Allowed to Sign Exclusive Copyright Agreements

Having formulated a "three-step" working idea of legalization of digital music (cracking down on infringement and piracy, standardizing the authorization model and improving the business model), the National Copyright Administration demonstrates its strong will to protect copyright of digital music, and has strongly promote the development of China's digital music industry. However, due to many factors, such as complex copyright issues of music works, diverse application scenarios of works, and imperfect authorization mode formed by history, the copyright relationships among all parties in the digital music industry need to be further standardized.

In its recent indoor sessions with the major record companies, lyrics copyright companies and digital music platforms in Beijing, the National Copyright Administration asked all parties in the digital music industry to work together to maintain the digital music copyright order and build a better ecology for digital music copyright.

NCA emphasized that all record companies, lyrics copyright companies and digital music platforms should: adopt an authorization model that conforms to the laws of music communication, the principles of fairness and reasonableness and international practice rules, and should be settled through the guaranteed money plus actual usage sharing model, and should not sign exclusive copyright agreement  except in special circumstances; improve the internal copyright management system, where authorized music works should have a clear catalogue and clear copyright ownership, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of copyright owners and related rights holders of music works; give priority to resolving copyright disputes between all parties in the digital music industry through negotiation and mediation;  actively explore the authorized use mechanism of music works in new scenes and new formats; and establish a digital music copyright operation mode that meets the market demand.