Tripartite Perspective on the Copyright-Sharing Economy in China

TL;DR

This paper examines China's copyright-sharing economy from the perspectives of owners, users, and platforms, highlighting the impact of digital technologies and proposing a balanced, sustainable model.

Contribution

It introduces a tripartite framework analyzing unauthorized, altruistic, and freemium sharing in China's digital copyright ecosystem.

Findings

Technological advances blur stakeholder boundaries.

Different sharing models present unique opportunities and challenges.

A balanced legal and economic approach is essential for sustainability.

Abstract

Internet and digital technologies have facilitated copyright sharing in an unprecedented way, creating significant tensions between the free flow of information and the exclusive nature of intellectual property. Copyright owners, users, and online platforms are the three major players in the copyright system. These stakeholders and their relations form the main structure of the copyright-sharing economy. Using China as an example, this paper provides a tripartite perspective on the copyright ecology based on three categories of sharing, namely unauthorized sharing, altruistic sharing, and freemium sharing. The line between copyright owners, users, and platforms has been blurred by rapidly changing technologies and market forces. By examining the strategies and practices of these parties, this paper illustrate the opportunities and challenges for China's copyright industry and digital economy. The paper concludes that under the shadow of the law, a sustainable copyright-sharing model must carefully align the interests of businesses and individual users.