Copyright and International Negotiations
An Engine of Free Expression in China?
Cambridge Intellectual Property and Information Law Series

Copyright and International Negotiations provides a historical study of the development of Chinese copyright law in terms of China's contemporary political economy and the impact that international copyright law has had. The analysis shows how China's copyright system is intertwined with censorship and international copyright law and how this has affected freedom of expression. China still enforces an old censorship regime that clamps down on free expression despite a modern system of copyright rules which should function as an engine of free expression. The book explores the development and architecture of Chinese copyright law in parallel with international copyright law, clarifies China's nuanced patterns of the control of free expression through copyright law, and identifies a breakthrough for neutralising the impact of China's censorship policies through copyright law.

1. A tale of two engines; 2. Little gain makes work hard; 3. Power is knowledge; 4. Towards free expression?

Ge Chen is Assistant Professor at Durham Law School, having previously held a post as Research Associate at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), a Berlin-based think-tank. Dr Chen has held many research and academic posts in China, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and provided legal consulting services to both Chinese and German governments in a variety of legal projects under the Sino–EU Dialogue on the Rule of Law.