On January 18, 2024, CODA and the Copyright Society of China(CSC) co-hosted a seminar, “The Latest Trends in Copyright Law in Japan and China – Latest Copyright Revision Points and Generated AI,” in Beijing, China.
This seminar is designed to provide the latest information on the latest trends in copyright law in Japan and China, the state of the art of rights protection, and current awareness of generative AI, as well as to promote cultural exchange between Japan and China in the field of intellectual property rights. This will be the second Japan-China seminar held by CODA as a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), following the one held last March.
The seminar was held in a hybrid format, with a real venue in Beijing and online participation from Japan. Approximately 50 people from government agencies, rights holders, industry associations, general business people, legal professionals, and educators attended the local venue, and approximately 50 people from CODA member companies also participated in the online viewing from Japan. In addition, a live webcast by CSC drew an audience of more than 1,500.
The seminar was moderated by Mr. Sun Yue, Vice-Chairman and Secretary General of CSC, and started with opening remarks by Mr. Xu Wei, Director of Public Service Division, National Copyright Administration of China(NCAC), Mr. Masato Usui, Minister of Culture, Embassy of Japan in China, and Mr. Yan Xiaohong, Chairman of the CSC.
Next, Mr. Zhu Kaixin, Research Fellow of the Online Copyright Industry Research Base, NCAC, gave a presentation titled “The Impact of Generative AI on the Copyright System and Considerations” on the changes and developments that AI will bring to the copyright field from the three aspects of technology, industry, and institutions, and the problems that are becoming apparent. Then, Ms. Sakiko Miyano, Deputy Director of the Media and Content Industry Division, METI, gave a lecture titled “Current Status and Direction of Content Industry Policy” on Japan’s global strategy centered on content IP and its support measures, as well as various anti-piracy measures. In addition, Mr. Wang Ji, Legal Counsel of Youku Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. gave a presentation titled “Current Status and Future Prospects of Japan-China Copyright Cooperation,” introducing the company’s collaborative development with Japanese IP and other cooperative relationships with the Japanese content industry and its future prospects.
CODA Representative Director Takero Goto then gave a presentation titled “Report on the Results of CODA’s Cross-Border Enforcement Project (CBEP) ” on the importance of international collaboration in the fight against piracy in the digital and online age, focusing on the presentation of the results of CODA’s CBEP, which has been underway since 2021. Then, Mr. Li Mingde, Professor of Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Science, gave a lecture titled “Key Points of Revision of Ordinances and Regulations Accompanying China’s Copyright Law” on issues that should be stipulated in copyright law, such as the inclusion clause in the definition of works and fair use, and the need for data mining and regulations to respond to new technologies such as AI. In addition, Mr. Tetsuo Maeda, attorney at law of Somei, Maeda & Nakagawa, gave a presentation entitled “Recent Developments in Japanese Copyright Law,” which included the latest information on revisions to Japan’s Copyright Law aimed at promoting fair use of copyrights and strengthening measures against piracy, as well as the status of the study on AI and copyright by the Subcommittee on Legal System of the Copyright Subcommittee of the Council for Cultural Affairs.
After the lecture, many questions were asked about issues surrounding AI and copyrights and future prospects for CODA’s activities, to which attorney Tetsuo Maeda and CODA Representative Director Goto responded.
In closing, Mr. Yu Cike, Executive Vice-Chairman of CSC, summed up the seminar by saying, “This seminar taught us the latest trends and lessons for future challenges and changes in copyright protection for new technologies that both China and Japan are facing in common, such as the development of AI “. He also announced that these comments had been created by a generative AI, and the audience was enlivened by the innovative performance surrounding the theme of this year’s event.
This seminar was very significant in that it raised expectations for further cooperation and collaboration in copyright protection between Japan and China in the content industry, which has entered a new phase with the development of rapidly advancing generation AI technology and other technologies.
This activity was part of a project entrusted from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
(translated by automatic translation system)
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https://www.csccn.org.cn
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About CODA
CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) was established in 2002 at the call of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs to promote the overseas development of Japanese content and take anti-piracy measures. Japan’s proud content, including music, movies, anime, broadcast programs, video games, and publishing, plays an important role in enhancing the nation’s international presence and economic growth. As digital technology becomes more widespread, it is even more significant to protect Japan’s content from increasingly artful copyright infringement and promote the content industry’s development. CODA contributes to the deterrence and detection of online and other piracy, by sharing knowledge with relevant government agencies, organizations, and companies in Japan and abroad, to engage in direct and indirect anti-piracy measures, as well as public relations activities. Visit https://coda-cj.jp/en/activity/ for more information on CODA’s projects.