Copyright theft cases, unauthorized broadcasting, and plagiarism are some of the issues that plague the Chinese film and TV industry, said officials from the Copyright Society of China on Sunday, July 4. Citing a recent seminar, the society said that such problems pave the way for low-quality and unintelligent entertainment.
In a statement released by the society, the increase of imitation products, the decline of incentive for screenwriters, and the continuing trend of substandard films and TV series are mostly the result of weak copyright protection in the country.
Because of these unlawful practices, China's film and TV industry, despite its reputation as the world's largest TV series producer, second largest consumer, and third largest film producer, is suffering.
Different personalities, on the other hand, blame other factors.
For Wang Hailin, who serves as vice president of a national film literature society, the growth spurt of the industry has led to the increase of new and amateur screenwriters vying for career opportunities. Some even work without contracts just to add something to their name.
Legal experts, on the other hand, blame the government's lack of legislation in the fields of TV and film. When it comes to film and TV copyright disputes, there is only one law to refer to, and that is the Copyright Law.
Not all hope is lost, however, as the Chinese film and TV industry has time to change. Cui Guobin, a professor from Tsinghua University, has suggested measures to improve the industry, such as the establishment of a blacklist for infringers.
Cui also suggested that the roles of industrial associations be improved upon in terms of copyright protection.
Chinese TV series are notorious for belonging in the same genre, featuring either recurring themes and plots or outrageous storytelling. This has led to the decrease of people watching local shows, with most Chinese audiences favoring foreign TV series.