The State Copyright Bureau recently released a new set of copyright pledges registration rules to replace its current system. The "Measures for Registration of Copyright Pledges" (the "Measures") will become effective on January 1, 2011. Copyrights, like other property rights, can be pledged as a financial security. China has not updated its current copyright pledges registration system since it went into effect on September 23, 1996. The key provisions of the Measures are highlighted below.

Unification of the Issuing Agency

Under the old system, the State Copyright Bureau had the authority to designate a special agency with the sole responsibility of registering pledges and issuing certificates. The Measures simplified the process by eliminating the intermediary and directly declaring that the State Copyright Bureau is the agency responsible for registering copyright pledges.