CREATe presents four new working papers forming part of the deliverables for the project “Convergence or differentiation in IP protection? A case study of new models for digital film, music and e- fiction production and distribution in China”. This includes three reports – “Online Music in China”, “Online Literature in China” and “Online Film in China” – as well as the article “Digital online music in China – a ‘laboratory’ for business experiment” published in the journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change (by Shen, X., Williams, R., Zheng, S., li, Y., Yui, Y. and Gerst, M. (2018)).
These reports provide a rare insight into the development and challenges of the IP regime in China, which has developed distinctly from more Western countries due to its unique past, traditions and characteristics. Indeed, the industries surveyed here were initially developed not as individual industries for competing businesses, but instead were state-created, and strongly influenced by China’s socialist roots. The reports also detail more recent developments in the Chinese digital environment, which has faced a rapidly changing creative cultural sector built on its distinctive digital cross-platform infrastructures. Detailed consideration is also given to the emergence of new business models, and in particular the rise of internet giants BAT (Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent) which is strongly influenced by the developing IP regime.
The reports are accompanied by an introductory note by PI Xiaobai Shen (University of Edinburgh), providing an overview of the project and details of the research team involved.
Download: Digital online music in China – a “laboratory” for business experiment
Download: Online Literature in China
Download: Online Film in China
Download: Online Music in China