China's Animation Films: Seek for Copyright Protection

2021-04-28
China IP News
China IP News——————

The 11th China International Animation Festival closed in Hangzhou lately. The animation cooperation projects reached a total of more than 14.8 billion yuan, including 113 auction items on copyright authorization cooperation, a highlight in this animation festival. However, compared to the US animated film about 70% of income from copyright exploitation, the majority of domestic animation films still rely on box office revenue. For domestic animation film, it is still a long way to go to develop the "blue ocean" of animation derivatives market.
 

In recent years, large-scale professional film and television companies have developed animation films business. Additionally, internet companies also became involved in animation film marketing, even distribution business. On the internet platform, animation film will see a new development trend.
 

Copyright of animation films have begun to attract domestic industry's attention. During last year's animation festival, the concept of integration by animation, comics, and games was proposed for the first time. According to Liu Changzheng, the director of Exhibition Office of China International Animation Festival, this year, copyright trading has been expanded to animation, comics, games, online literature, and some excellent copyright works were paid for over 10 million yuan.
 

But according to the industry experts, the domestic industry's effort is not enough on the development of copyright. The main reason of this situation is that some companies' lack of awareness of copyright exploitation, animation images are not famous enough, the brands are not attractive, causing its difficult to enter the consumer systems. In addition, at present, few domestic professional teams could develop the animation image and make success on market.
 

The industry experts believe that, China's animation film is difficult to break copyright development because of lower levels of creative works, lacking of professional operations team on development of derivatives and uncompleted industrial chain. "China Animation Film Development Report 2014" shows that for development model of domestic animation film of derivatives, 56% of companies have chosen to combine the company with professional development model; 36% of companies have chosen to outsource models, looking for a professional company, also 8% rely on their own development. In the process of derivative product development operations, they often encounter a lot of problems. These problems show that domestic companies need to take more efforts on animation business market operation, personnel training, IP protection and further specialized operating companies and so on.
 

"Our operational aspects of derivatives product is weak, and the single company is difficult to support the whole animation movie industry chain, and strong professional companies are expected to appear as soon as possible. The whole industry chain should join hands and work together to improve the industry and promote the domestic animation film industry bigger and stronger. " some experts appealed.