Space to grow: Copyright, cultural policy and commercially‐focused music in China

Abstract

A difficult copyright environment, combined with the Chinese government's continuing power over key distribution and promotion channels, including radio, television, publishing and concerts (Baranovitch, 2003 Baranovitch, N. 2003. China's new voices: Popular music, ethnicity, gender and politics, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. [Google Scholar]; Brady, 2006 Brady, A. 2006. Guiding hand: The role of the CCP central propaganda department in the current era.. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 3(1): 57–76. [Google Scholar]), have been key factors in the failure of international labels to secure a dominant position in China's rapidly developing domestic music market. This paper argues that while international record labels have been paralyzed by concepts of value that depend on an ability to control the copying of music products and to enforce intellectual property rights (Montgomery & Potts, 2008 Montgomery, L. and Potts, J. 2008. Global reuse and adaptation in the creative industries: Three further arguments against intellectual property based on lessons from China.. Dynamics of Institutions in Europe Working Papers, 59 Retrieved July 27, 2008 from http://www.dime‐eu.org/working‐papers/wp14/59#attachments [Google Scholar]), domestic music and entertainment businesses are actively exploring strategies that allow them to function in a weak copyright environment. Cultural policies ostensibly intended to prevent the circulation of heterodox content are having an important side‐effect: making it more attractive for music‐related businesses to promote and distribute local content. As a result, domestic music and entertainment businesses are developing a distinct advantage in the highly competitive Chinese market.