The Social Basis Of Copyright

Copyright is a very important part of intellectual property rights. It is of momentous theoretical value and current significance. Using historical comparative research method and structural analytic research method, the essay analyses and illustrates the common theory of the copyright social basis from the very beginning. It analyses the similarities and differences between the western copyright system and the Chinese copyright system in history, and investigates the social basis that makes the copyright system appear and develop. Then it analyses the latest changes of the copyright social basis in 20th century. At last, the essay concludes that we must raise and perfect the Chinese copyright social basis firstly in order to improve the Chinese copyright protection system.After investigating the copyright system history, the essay points out that the revolution of spreading technology and the creation of new printing technology are an essential prerequisite to the copyright system; the development of the commodity economy is the economic basis of the copyright system; the democracy system is the politic guarantee to the copyright system; the right selfish departmentalism and consciousness of copyright is the cultural basis of copyright system; and the independent merchant stratum and the independent intelligentsia stratum are the direct driving force to the copyright system. The essay also points out that new challenges have been brought to the cultural copyright protection system by the rapidly developing of electronic information technology, the establishment of the market economy system, the perfection of democracy system, the attention highly paid to human rights, and the appearance of the knowledge economy.At last, the essay concludes that we must remedy historical defects of the Chinese copyright social basis, and also we must deal with new challenges from the changes of copyright social basis, in order to raise and perfect the Chinese copyright social basis. Firstly, we must develop our nation's technical and educational undertakings and promote our nation's copyright industries. Secondly, we must continually perfect our nation's socialist market economy system and provide a wide space for copyright to develop. Thirdly but not the last we must enhance our citizens' copyright consciousness and create a better cultural environment to protect copyright.