The Trial Measures for the Voluntary Registration of Works were promulgated in 1994 and entered into force on 1 Jan. 1995.
There are 17 articles in total, which aim to clarify how to register a copyright, so as to provide prima facie evidence for copyright dispute resolution.
The key points are as follows:
Voluntary registration of works. Whether a work is registered or not, the copyright obtained by the author or other copyright owners according to the law shall not be affected.
The provincial copyright bureau is responsible for the registration of works of authors or other copyright owners within its jurisdiction. The National Copyright Administration is responsible for the registration of works of authors or other copyright owners from foreign countries, Taiwan region, Hong Kong S.A.R. and Macao S.A.R.
The registration authority shall issue a works registration certificate to the copyright owner upon review of the registered works.
The registration of computer software shall be subject to the Measures for the Registration of Computer Software Copyright (计算机软件著作权登记办法).