Procedures For Work Reproduction Q&A

How can I know whether the content I intend to reprint is copyrighted?

The protection granted by the Copyright Law normally does not apply to following works:

1. Works for which the copyright term has expired. This category includes:

(i) works of natural persons when the 50st year after the death of the author has passed. For example, the copyright of the works of Lu Xun, who died in 1936, expired in 1986; and

(ii) works of legal persons when the 50st year after the publication of such works has passed. Since Steamboat Willie, the screen debut for Mickey Mouse, was published in 1928, it became free for reproduction in 1978.

The above two types of works apply very different starting points to calculate the term of copyright. One way to distinguish between the two is the signature: the work under the signature of a natural person is usually the work of natural person.