The movie piracy industry in China and its relationship with intellectual property rights

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to determine the reasons for the continued existence of movie piracy in optical disc form in China. This paper will take into account the history of the movie industry and other cultural factors that may have influenced China's intellectual property regime, and how these elements have allowed movie piracy to develop into a rampant problem. Trade and other international agreements are considered and offer insight to the recent domestic laws pertaining to intellectual property. In addition, the practices of the local levels of government and courts provide a direct connection to law promulgation and enforcement. The complexities of these topics reveal the intricacies and relationships behind the continued existence of movie piracy in China. This paper supports the view that the Chinese government has the ability and capacity to enforce the laws, however, there are many complications associated with costs, political relationships and cultural factors that prevent effective enforcement.