A good time for copyright trading in China

For Liu Bogen, vice president of China Publishing Group, the just concluded 20th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) was a positive signal for the nation's copyright trading.

Liu, also deputy president of the BIBF committee, said this fair has attracted eight percent more foreign book publishers than it did last year and a total of 2,276 booths were set up for more than 2,000 participants from 76 countries and regions, according to Xinhua.

The BIBF, initiated in 1986 and held Aug 28-Sep 1 this year, has evolved into an important showcase for China's cultural appeal and connections to the world in copyright trade, book trade and cultural activities, according to Liu.

He said this year's fair saw the inking of 3,667 copyright deals, 11 percent more than last year. The 2013 deals included 2,091 cases of export and partnership contracts and the ratio of volumes exported and imported stood at 1:1.33.

"China has witnessed booming copyright trading in recent years which indicates that China's publication industry has been gradually integrating into the world," Liu added.

Statistics from China's General Administration of Press and Publication supported his view, showing that the country exported 7,831 categories of publications in 2012, a 13 percent increase year-on-year, while importing 17,193 categories, a six percent increase year-on-year.

Drawn by the robust copyright trade in China, international publishers have shown great interest in the fair.

Furthermore, Chinese publishing enterprises have taken an active role in entering the world stage.

For example, according to Liu Zhong, director of the international cooperation department of China Publishing Group, more than 360,000 copies of 'Confucius from the Heart' by Yu Dan have been issued overseas in eight languages, with its French edition ranking among that country's top 10 bestsellers for 25 weeks.

According to a chart released June 24 by industry magazine The Bookseller, two Chinese players - China Publishing Group and Phoenix Publishing & Media Group - have been listed for the first time among the top 50 such groups worldwide.