“屏蔽或变现”:一种著作权的再配置机制

“To Block or to Monetize”: A Mechanism to Facilitate Copyright Reallocation

近年来,网络平台不仅允许著作权人屏蔽涉嫌侵权的内容,还可以让著作权人利用该内容在平台的传播获得广告收入。这一"屏蔽或变现"规则,为著作权人增加了将侵权转化为事后许可的责任规则保护方式,有助于在越来越多用户生成内容(UGC)处于侵权与合理使用的权利模糊地带的情况下,促进著作权的再配置。但是,现行"屏蔽或变现"规则完全依靠技术以量来判断UGC的产权归属,剥夺了UGC创作者的谈判能力,最终将抑制UGC的创作,也阻却著作权通过分散的市场机制发现更有效率使用者的通道。为实现"屏蔽或变现"规则的制度优势,UGC创作者应享有与著作权人对等的保护机制。具体而言,UGC创作者应享有要求恢复原状或共享收益的反通知权,UGC平台应承担尽合理注意义务处理反通知的责任。

In recent years,user-generated content(UGC)platforms not only allow copyright owners to block allegedly infringing material,but also to profit from the dissemination of such material in the platform.The“to block or to monetize”rule provides copyright owners with liability-rule protection to gain advertising revenue from infringement,which facilitates efficient copyright reallocation when more and more UGC lies in the gray area between infringement and fair use.However,the current rule merely relies on quantitative standard to evaluate the qualitative-based copyright ownership of UGC,depriving UGC creators of the bargaining power against copyright owners.This will not only stifle UGC creation but also refrain copyright from discovering more efficient exploiters through a dispersed market mechanism.To rebalance the protection between copyright owners and UGC creators and to truly fulfill the purpose of the rule,UGC creators should be permitted to claim the restoration of UGC or the sharing of advertising revenue through counter-notification,and UGC platforms should assume the responsibility of handling counter-notifications with reasonable care.