A Cultural Approach to DRM Implementation in China

Abstract

China's adoption of copyright has been problematic. Between the Confucian emphasis on sharing cultural materials and a more politically motivated treatment in both Imperial and Maoist periods, there has been little basis for the Western intellectual property rights approach favored by the West and pushed in international trade agreements. Some scholars have questioned whether Western property rights approaches are appropriate for all cultures, and have suggested that Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems can offer an alternative approach. Delays in the implementation of copyright procedures and processes in China, particularly in the electronic media provide an opportunity to develop new approaches. China has an opportunity to consider how DRM systems and approaches could be developed to enable an alternative approach to intellectual property rights consistent with traditional cultural values. This article considers how China could implement DRM approaches within the international copyright structure that could maximize social value and acceptance.