'Red classics' focus of copyright directive

Courts around China are being directed by the country's top court not to suspend "red classic" performances - plays, ballets and other artistic productions that showcase revolutionary culture and heroes - when disputes are pending over copyright fees, because letting the performances proceed is in the public interest.

The courts need to respect history and the law when making decisions about the level of fees the "red classic" productions should pay. Suspending the productions as a way of ending a copyright dispute shouldn't be an option, the Supreme People's Court said on Monday.

"Red classic" productions should also be differentiated from commercial ones because of their educational value, it said. Therefore, courts must take into account the special historical background of such works, and consider the benefits of promoting revolutionary culture when deciding on the amount of fees to be paid to copyright holders.