中美著作权法制史的差异及探源

History of copyright law in China and USA: differences and causes

通过对中美著作权法创制历史的比较 ,认为两国著作权立法史的客观差异是 :中国历史悠久 ,又最早产生著作权的萌芽 ,但正式成法的历史极短且著作权法的更递频繁 ;美国立国时间不长 ,但建国伊始就选择了制定著作权法来保护有关创作的权利 ,且此种保护在不断地完善 ;而在承担著作权国际保护义务时 ,中国显得积极 ,美国则不然。产生这些差异的原因在于两国经济环境、文化环境。

Be comparing the history of copyright law in China with that in USA, the remarkable contrast between them is recognized: China has a long history and the earliest 'seeds' of the copyright, but the history of copyright law is short and the copyright laws change frequently. Furthermore, China is an active member state of international copyright protection organizations. On the contrary, the United States has a short history, with a comparatively long history of copyright law, and takes a passive attitude in international copyright protection. The causes of the above mentioned contrasts lie in the differences in the following aspects: economic and cultural environment, concepts of right, and the ways in which the concept of copyright is introduced.