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Guide to Copyright Administrative Complaints
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Judicial Protection and Administrative Protection
China's copyright protection system provides both the judicial protection and the administrative protection for right owners.
Under the judicial protection system, the judicial authority will investigate according to law the infringer's civil liability after the right owner conducts a civil litigation, or, where the infringement is suspected to be a crime, the infringer's criminal liability after the public prosecutor or the right owner conducts a criminal litigation. A civil or criminal litigation should be conducted under the procedures provided in the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China or in the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China.
Under the administrative protection system, the administrative authority will investigate according to law the infringer's administrative liability after the right owner files a complaint or another person knowing of the fact informs on the infringer, or after the administrative department takes the initiative in placing the case on file, where the infringing act impairs the public interest.
Administrative Authorities Accepting Complaints
The authorities accepting copyright administrative complaints are the copyright administrative departments at all levels. When a right owner finds out an infringement, he or she may file a complaint with the copyright administrative department at the place where the infringing act is committed or where the consequence of the infringement arises, including the place where the infringing copies are stored, the seizure is made according to law, the server of the infringing website is located, the owner of the infringing website domiciles, or the business is mainly carried on. In some cases, a copyright administrative department with which the complainant files a complaint may, according to law, refer the complaint to another copyright administrative department for handling.
Complainants
A complainant should be a Chinese citizen, legal entity or organization other than a legal entity, or a foreigner or stateless person, who enjoys copyright or a right related to copyright in accordance with the Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China, or a user who enjoys an exclusive right of exploitation according to law, or an interested party. A person knowing of the fact may inform the copyright administrative department on the infringer.
Scope of Complaints
An infringing act involved in a complaint should be one of those listed in Article 47 of the Copyright Law
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of the People's Republic of China or in Article 24 of the Regulations for the Protection of Computer Software and impairing the public interest.
Even if a right owner does not know whether an infringing act impairs the public interest or not, he or she may files a complaint with the copyright administrative department, which will make an examination and reach a judgment.
Prescription of Complaints
A complaint should be filed with the copyright administrative department within 2 years from the date when the infringement is committed. A complaint filed beyond the period of prescription will not be accepted by the copyright administrative department. If an infringing act is in a continuous or continual way, the limitation of 2 years starts from the date when the infringement is terminated.
Material for Complaints
When filing a complaint with the copyright administrative department, the complainant should present the following material: (a) a written application for investigation, in which the names and addresses of both the complainant and the complained person, as well as the date when the complaint is filed should be indicated, and in which the main facts and reasons as the basis of the application should be stated; (b) the certificate of identification of the complainant, as well as the power of attorney and the certificate of identification of the agent if the complainant entrusts an agent with the complaint; (c) the preliminary proof of the ownership, such as the manuscript of the work, a copy of the published work with the name of the complainant as the author, a registration certificate for the work, a contract under which the complainant acquires a right, a certificate issued by an authentication organ, etc.; and (d) the infringement evidence, including the infringing copies, the accounts, contracts or processing or producing documents involved in the infringement, the notaries deed proving the infringement, the relevant photos, etc.
Material for complaints may be presented to copyright administrative departments directly or delivered by mail. If possible, a copyright administrative department may accept material for complaints presented through the Internet.
If the text of the material for complaint is written in a foreign language, a corresponding translation in Chinese should also be presented.
Results of Complaints
After a complainant files a complaint, the copyright administrative department will notify him or her of whether the complaint has been accepted within 15 days from the date when it receives the material for complaint, if it regards the material for complaint as having complied with the requirements. In the case where the copyright administrative department notifies the complainant of not accepting the compliant, the reasons should be given in the notification.
The copyright administrative department accepting the complaint will, after investigating the infringement,
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make one of the following handling decisions according to the gravity of the infringement: (a) to impose administrative penalties on the infringer; (b) to exempt the infringer from administrative penalties if the infringing act is a minor one; (c) not to impose administrative penalties on the infringer if the alleged infringement is not established; or (d) to remove the case to the judicial authority if the infringement is suspected to be a crime.
A copyright administrative department may impose on the infringer the following administrative penalties: (a) to order him to discontinue the infringing act; (b) to confiscate the unlawful gains;(c) to confiscate or destroy the infringing copies;(d) to impose a fine on him; (e) to confiscate the material, tools, equipments, etc mainly used to produce infringing copies if the circumstances are serious; and (f) to impose other administrative penalties provided in laws or regulations.
If the complainant refuses the handling decision made by the copyright administrative department, he or she may, according to law, apply for administrative reconsideration or conduct an administrative litigation. An administrative reconsideration should be applied for under the procedures provided in the Administrative Reconsideration Law of the People's Republic of China, while an administrative litigation should be conducted under the procedures provided in the Administrative Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China.
Other Administrative Protection
A right owner who finds that infringing copies will be imported from abroad or exported out of China may request the customs to take relevant protective measures in accordance with the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Customs' Protection of Intellectual Property Right.
《著作权行政投诉指南》
全文
根据《中华人民共和国行政处罚法》、《中华人民共和国著作权法》和《著作权行政处罚实施办法》的有关规定，国家版权局编写了《著作权行政投诉指南》（以下简称《指南》），旨在指导著作权人及与著作权有关的权利人（以下简称权利人）如何就侵权行为向行政机关进行投诉，以更好地保护权利人的权益。
一、关于司法保护和行政保护
中国著作权保护制度向权利人提供司法保护和行政保护。
根据司法保护制度，经权利人提起民事诉讼，司法机关将依法追究侵权人的民事责任；在侵权行为涉嫌构成犯罪的情况下，经公诉人或者权利人提起诉讼，司法机关将依法追究侵权人的刑事责任。提起民事诉讼或者刑事诉讼，应当相应适用《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》或者《中华人民共和国刑事诉讼法》规定的诉讼程序。
根据行政保护制度，在侵权行为损害公共利益的情况下，经权利人投诉或知情人举报，或者经行政机关自行立案调查，行政机关将依法追究侵权人的行政责任。
二、关于受理投诉的行政机关
受理著作权行政投诉的机关为各级著作权行政管理部门。权利人发现侵权行为后，可以根据情况向侵权行为实施地、侵权结果发生地（包括侵权复制品储藏地、依法查封扣押地、侵权站服务器所在地、侵权网站主办人所在地或者主要经营场所地）的著作权行政管理部门投诉。在某些情况下，著作权行政管理部门可以依法将投诉移交另一著作权管理部门处理。
三、关于投诉人
投诉人应当是根据《中华人民共和国著作权法》享有著作权或者与著作权有关的权利的中国公民、法人或者其他组织，或者外国人、无国籍人，或者是依法享有专有使用权的使用者，或者是利害关系人。知情人可以就侵权行为向著作权行政管理部门进行举报。
四、关于投诉范围
投诉涉及的侵权行为应当是《中华人民共和国著作权法》第四十七条或者《计算机保护条例》第二十四条列举的、同时损害公共利益的侵权行为。
权利人即使不知道侵权行为是否损害公共利益，也可以向著作权行政管理部门投诉，由著作权行政管理部门进行审查判断。
五、关于投诉时效
投诉应当自侵权行为发生之日起两年内向著作权行政管理部门提出。自侵权行为发生之日起两年后进行的投诉，著作权行政管理部门不再受理。对于有连续或者继续状态的侵权行为，两年期限自侵权行为终止之日计算。
六、关于投诉材料
投诉人向著作权行政管理部门投诉时，应当提交下列材料：（一）调查申请书，其中应当写明投诉人、被投诉人的姓名（或者名称）和地址，投诉日期，申请调查所根据的主要事实和理由；（二）投诉人的身份证明（如果投诉人委托代理人进行投诉，应当同时提交委托书和代理人的身份证明）；（三）权利归属的初步证据，如作品原稿，由投诉人署名发表的作品，作品登记证书，取得权利的合同，或者谁机构出具的证明等；（四）侵权证据，包括侵权复制品，涉及侵权行为的帐目、合同和加工、制作单据，证明侵权行为的公证书，有关照片等。
投诉材料可以直接向著作权行政管理部门提交，也可以通过邮寄方式提交。
投诉人提交的材料如果文字部分是外文，应当附相应的中文译文。
七、关于处理结果
投诉人投诉后，著作权行政管理部门将对投诉材料进行审查，并通知投诉是否受理投诉。在通知投诉人不予受理的情况下，著作权行政管理部门应当在通知书中说明理由。
著作权行政管理部门受理投诉后，将对涉嫌侵权行为进行调查，并根据调查结果作出下列一种处理决定：（一）对侵权人予以行政处罚；（二）侵权轻微的，可以不予处罚；（三）侵权事实不成立的，不予行政处罚；（四）涉嫌构成犯罪的，移送司法机关处理。
著作权行政管理部门可以给予侵权人的行政处罚包括：（一）责令停止侵权行为；（二）没收违法所得；（三）没收或者销毁侵权复制品；（四）罚款；（五）情节严重的，没收主要用于制作侵权复制品的材料、工具、设备等；（六）给予法律、法规规定的其他行政处罚。
投诉人如果对著作权行政管理部门的处理决定不服，可以依法申请行政复议或者提起行政诉讼。申请行政复议或者行政诉讼，应当适用《中华人民共和国行政复议法》或者《中华人民共和国行政诉讼法》规定的有关程序。
八、其他行政保护
权利人如果发现侵权复制品将从海关进出口，可以请求海关依照《中华人民共和国知识产权保护条例》采取相应的保护措施。
根据《中华人民共和国行政处罚法》、《中华人民共和国著作权法》和《著作权行政处罚实施办法》的有关规定，国家版权局编写了《著作权行政投诉指南》（以下简称《指南》），旨在指导著作权人及与著作权有关的权利人（以下简称权利人）如何就侵权行为向行政机关进行投诉，以更好地保护权利人的权益。
一、关于司法保护和行政保护
中国著作权保护制度向权利人提供司法保护和行政保护。
根据司法保护制度，经权利人提起民事诉讼，司法机关将依法追究侵权人的民事责任；在侵权行为涉嫌构成犯罪的情况下，经公诉人或者权利人提起诉讼，司法机关将依法追究侵权人的刑事责任。提起民事诉讼或者刑事诉讼，应当相应适用《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》或者《中华人民共和国刑事诉讼法》规定的诉讼程序。
根据行政保护制度，在侵权行为损害公共利益的情况下，经权利人投诉或知情人举报，或者经行政机关自行立案调查，行政机关将依法追究侵权人的行政责任。
二、关于受理投诉的行政机关
受理著作权行政投诉的机关为各级著作权行政管理部门。权利人发现侵权行为后，可以根据情况向侵权行为实施地、侵权结果发生地（包括侵权复制品储藏地、依法查封扣押地、侵权站服务器所在地、侵权网站主办人所在地或者主要经营场所地）的著作权行政管理部门投诉。在某些情况下，著作权行政管理部门可以依法将投诉移交另一著作权管理部门处理。
三、关于投诉人
投诉人应当是根据《中华人民共和国著作权法》享有著作权或者与著作权有关的权利的中国公民、法人或者其他组织，或者外国人、无国籍人，或者是依法享有专有使用权的使用者，或者是利害关系人。知情人可以就侵权行为向著作权行政管理部门进行举报。
四、关于投诉范围
投诉涉及的侵权行为应当是《中华人民共和国著作权法》第四十七条或者《计算机保护条例》第二十四条列举的、同时损害公共利益的侵权行为。
权利人即使不知道侵权行为是否损害公共利益，也可以向著作权行政管理部门投诉，由著作权行政管理部门进行审查判断。
五、关于投诉时效
投诉应当自侵权行为发生之日起两年内向著作权行政管理部门提出。自侵权行为发生之日起两年后进行的投诉，著作权行政管理部门不再受理。对于有连续或者继续状态的侵权行为，两年期限自侵权行为终止之日计算。
六、关于投诉材料
投诉人向著作权行政管理部门投诉时，应当提交下列材料：（一）调查申请书，其中应当写明投诉人、被投诉人的姓名（或者名称）和地址，投诉日期，申请调查所根据的主要事实和理由；（二）投诉人的身份证明（如果投诉人委托代理人进行投诉，应当同时提交委托书和代理人的身份证明）；（三）权利归属的初步证据，如作品原稿，由投诉人署名发表的作品，作品登记证书，取得权利的合同，或者谁机构出具的证明等；（四）侵权证据，包括侵权复制品，涉及侵权行为的帐目、合同和加工、制作单据，证明侵权行为的公证书，有关照片等。
投诉材料可以直接向著作权行政管理部门提交，也可以通过邮寄方式提交。
投诉人提交的材料如果文字部分是外文，应当附相应的中文译文。
七、关于处理结果
投诉人投诉后，著作权行政管理部门将对投诉材料进行审查，并通知投诉是否受理投诉。在通知投诉人不予受理的情况下，著作权行政管理部门应当在通知书中说明理由。
著作权行政管理部门受理投诉后，将对涉嫌侵权行为进行调查，并根据调查结果作出下列一种处理决定：（一）对侵权人予以行政处罚；（二）侵权轻微的，可以不予处罚；（三）侵权事实不成立的，不予行政处罚；（四）涉嫌构成犯罪的，移送司法机关处理。
著作权行政管理部门可以给予侵权人的行政处罚包括：（一）责令停止侵权行为；（二）没收违法所得；（三）没收或者销毁侵权复制品；（四）罚款；（五）情节严重的，没收主要用于制作侵权复制品的材料、工具、设备等；（六）给予法律、法规规定的其他行政处罚。
投诉人如果对著作权行政管理部门的处理决定不服，可以依法申请行政复议或者提起行政诉讼。申请行政复议或者行政诉讼，应当适用《中华人民共和国行政复议法》或者《中华人民共和国行政诉讼法》规定的有关程序。
八、其他行政保护
权利人如果发现侵权复制品将从海关进出口，可以请求海关依照《中华人民共和国知识产权保护条例》采取相应的保护措施。