According to a regulation released last week by the Film Copyright Society of China (FCSC), internet cafes will be charged for movie royalties as early as January 1.
Zhu Yongde, director-general of the organization, said Chinese film copyright owners did not get any benefit from playing movies through internet cafes, a situation that was not fair.
"Box office returns account for a mere 20 percent to 25 percent of the total revenue of films made in the United States. The rest is from copyright fees collected through the internet, hotels or buses," he said.
English People’s Daily Online reports that, according to a survey conducted by the FCSC, the average occupancy rate of internet cafes in the Chinese mainland is 56%. Businesses open on average for 16 hours, and movie audiences in internet cafes account for 20% of the total customers.
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