China to Limit the Unauthorized Use of Other's Digital Properties

The illegal use of people’s work including Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) without getting their permission has been a concern to the National Copyright Administration in China (NCAC).

To this end, the agency alongside four departments has therefore enacted policies in a special edition campaign ‘Jianwang 20222’ to combat this issue according to a press statement. They address infringement policies in areas such as online video, online text, online music, online news, and online live broadcast.

An important aspect of the infringement policy is to accelerate innovative ideas, protect digital works, strengthen the entire chain of copyright and also ensure punishment is meted out to defaulting parties.

The ‘Jianwang 2022’ is hoping to address this policy in four areas. Firstly, a good structure database is required to compare previous works against new ones.

The second is to increase the copyright oversight of online platforms and look into the use of online digital goods on other online platforms according to established laws and firmly rectify violations that are against these rules.

The third strictly cracks down on the unauthorized use of other people’s works of art, animation, films, games, and television to create NFTs, make digital copies and sell pirated versions via the internet.

Lastly, it aims to consolidate the work accomplishments in the area of online literature, games, and arts, amongst others, and effectively enhance online copyright infringements.

A Rise in the Use of NFTs

Non Fungible Tokens are seen as one of the first steps toward economic opportunities for a lot of people. This is an important factor that will contribute to a continuous rise in the digital space according to reports. 

Various organizations are also making use of NFTs as an instrument in their various platforms. For example, LG electronics recently collaborated with Hedera blockchain to explore NFT capabilities. The collaboration will allow users to buy and sell NFTs through their television sets.

While NFTs are gaining a remarkable wave in the digital currency ecosystem, reports have also been made by various Artists about finding their works on NFT platforms without their knowledge. This is an important aspect the NACA is seeking to address.