China’s Copyright Law and the Music Industry: A Social-Legal Analysis

This chapter conducts a socio-legal analysis of the development of Chinese copyright law in the music industry. Taking a historical approach, it provides much neglected evidence about the autonomous development of Chinese copyright law. So far, the book has addressed the paradox between the weak copyright regime in China and its recent seemingly positive development in the music industry, particularly in the online digital sector. This chapter will lay the bedrock for the discussion of policy implications and specific recommendations facing the third amendment of Chinese copyright law. It also generates relevant themes that guide the analyses in the rest of the book to address the research questions on potential business models, strategies and tactics with an aim to get artists and creators fairly compensated.