China News Service Client, Beijing, May 10 (Yuan Xiuyue) Recently, the classics "Journey to the West" and "Dream of Red Mansions" have caused heated discussion on the Internet again, this time because of copyright.
Some netizens broke the news that the online platform "Starting Chinese Network" marked "Journey to the West" as authorized by Wu Cheng'en to produce and distribute it, and was marked with "signing" "VIP" and other labels. Some netizens claimed that Cao Xueqin was invited to pay for reading "Dream of Red Mansions" on the Internet.
This matter quickly caused controversy online. So, how to divide the copyright of classic classics? Is it reasonable to pay to read classics online?
Screenshots of "Journey to the West", Chinese starting point
"Journey to the West" authorized by Wu Chengen? Reading response
Recently, some netizens drew pictures on the Internet. When reading "Dream of Red Mansions", the web platform page showed that the author Cao Xueqin presented red envelopes and invited them to purchase paid chapters. Netizens have left messages, and some netizens teased that this is from "Dream of Red Mansions" to "Liao Zhai".
Screenshots of "Dream of Red Mansions" on the Web-based and Web-based platform
In addition, some netizens broke the news. The starting point of the Chinese website marked "Journey to the West" as authored by the author Wu Chengen and marked with "Copyright, infringement must be investigated", and the other page also has "signed". VIP "and other labels.
Screenshots of "Journey to the West", Chinese starting point
On May 9, in response to the above disputes, the official Weibo of the article responded. The response stated that the words "Signed" and "Authorized Release" in the works such as "Journey to the West" refer to the signing of the starting point of Chinese Network and the content provider (CP), and obtained their formal authorization. The works are marked with "VIP" It is a paid product to ensure the consistency of the labeling of published content channels and original content channels. In 2017, in order to more accurately express the information marked in the works, the system has been optimized, and the words "authorized by third-party content providers" have been added.
Screenshot of Weiwen Guan Wei's response
In the comment area, the article also added that the pictures circulating on the Internet are screenshots before 2017. When the work was put on the shelf, the product's home page was incomplete, and the full text of "X and Y Press Authorized Starting Point Chinese Network Electronic Version" was not displayed. At the same time, when the work was on the shelf, the background machine automatically grabbed the name of Wu Chengen's writer, causing misunderstandings. After receiving the misunderstanding feedback in 2017, the product was optimized immediately.
Some netizens also questioned that the traditional Chinese readers such as "Journey to the West" could not be found on the starting point Chinese website, and the display page did not exist or was deleted. Readers responded to this. Different works have different distribution strategies, and they can still be read on the starting point reading app.
Information on the new copyright page of Journey to the West
Most classics have to pay for reading online
ChinaNews.com searched "Journey to the West" written by Wu Chengen on the website of the starting point Chinese website, and did not see the relevant content. Searching "Dream of Red Mansions" revealed that the page could not be accessed. On the starting point reading app, you can also read these two books. The copyright page shows that the third-party company authorizes the reading and production and distribution.
Starting Point Chinese Webpage Screenshot: The Journey to the West by Wu Chengen has not been found
Search for other classics on the website of Qidian Chinese Website, such as "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Water Margin" and "Notre Dame Cathedral", etc. You can also see related versions, but only the first few chapters can be read for free, the other chapters are VIP Chapters need to be subscribed to read. Among them, all subscriptions to "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (Classic Yilin) require 1799 starting coins, and one yuan can buy 100 starting coins.
Starting point Chinese website screenshot: "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" needs to be read after subscription
Chinanews.com noted that not only the starting point of the Chinese network, but many classic online books and reading APPs need to be VIP or paid to read, and some platforms offer both paid and free versions.
Screenshot of a reading APP
In this regard, some netizens have questioned whether classic classics are not public copyrights, why should they be charged? Some people think that e-books are different from physical books published by publishers. Most of physical books are paid for the cost of the book itself, and e-books are a bunch of data.
Webpage screenshot: Searching "Dream of Red Mansions" shows that the page cannot be accessed
Third-Party Attorney: It is inappropriate to mark the words "Copyright, Infringement Must Be Investigated"
In response to the above issues, Zhongxin.com interviewed a third-party lawyer and lawyer Wang Ling from the Shanghai office of Dacheng Law Firm. Lawyer Wang introduced that the protection period of the rights to publish citizens ’works and the rights specified in Article 10, paragraph 1 (5) to (17) of the Copyright Law is 50 years after the author ’s lifetime and his death, and expires at the author ’s December 31 of the fiftieth year after death; if it is a collaborative work, the deadline is December 31 of the fiftieth year after the death of the author who last died.
As a kind of intellectual property, copyright has timeliness. In other words, the copyright is protected by law for a limited period of time. When the period expires, the copyright is lost. After the work enters the public domain, the works that enter the public domain are printed into a book for publication, recorded on the online platform for readers to read, and the act of shooting into a film and television drama does not constitute an infringement, and certain income can be obtained.
Screenshot of "Journey to the West" on the web platform
Lawyer Wang said that under normal circumstances, if a work within the right protection period, the author of the work transfers the copyright of the work to the web platform through signing, authorization, etc., then the web platform will enjoy the rights in the copyright law for the work , The words marked "Copyright, infringement must be investigated" are understandable.
However, it is inappropriate for the web-based platform to mark the "protected, copyright infringing" classical classics that have passed the protection period, because these classic classics have entered the public domain themselves, and anyone can infringe the author's personal rights. Can be used, so there is no such thing as "the web platform has copyright".
Secondly, the web-based platform generally only enters the full text of classical classics into the platform system for readers to read, and does not interpret, annotate or comment on the work itself, so no new deductive works have been formed, so there is no copyright for deductive works problem. Therefore, the words "copyright, infringement must be investigated" on the web platform are not appropriate.
Reading APP screenshot
Are the charges for reading classics reasonable?
As for charging, Lawyer Wang believes that it is legally possible. Because the reading service provided by the web-based platform itself will also incur certain operating costs, such as text entry, editing and even errata, etc. The behavior of providing reading services is not fundamentally different from the printing and publishing of classical classics. Works in the public domain provide readers with reading services, but only in different media.
However, it is worth noting that the nature of the reading fee charged by the operating platform for the classics is not the copyright of the classics. As mentioned earlier, the classics have entered the public domain and there is no such thing as copyright fees. However, from the perspective of public interests, Lawyer Wang believes that, for classic classics such as "The Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West" that belong to the cultural treasures of the famous Chinese people, our primary task is to pass on and carry forward, rather than use legal means to grab profits. This is also in line with the legislative intent of the term of protection of rights in the Copyright Law. (Finish)