Finding balance between information sharing and copyright protection

The judgment at first instance in the copyright infringement case pitting authors Han Han et. al. against Baidu Wenku came into effect at the end of October 2012. The court ordered Baidu Wenku to compensate for the authors’ economic losses in the amount of RMB173,000 (US$28,000).

Baidu Wenku, as a file sharing platform, gathers various files that are made available for reading online and downloading, and encourages internet users to upload files. It also includes a vast quantity of online works of literature, and e-books of published works of literature.

There are two sides to this coin: the sharing of information resources increases the quantity of available information to the benefit of all; and protection of copyrights can stimulate the creativity of writers. With the spread of the internet, a conflict between information sharing and copyright protection has arisen. Between traditional hardcopy books and new e-books, the public is naturally gravitating to the cheaper, and sometimes even free, option.

Wang Yadong is the executive partner and Shan Meng is a lawyer at Run Ming Law Office