Copyright in the PRC

Notes on Copyright law in the People's Republic of China.

Chinese government documents are all public domain. Article 5 of Chinese copyright law exempts all Chinese government and judicial documents, and their official translations, from copyright.

Article 5 This Law shall not be applicable to:

• (1) laws; regulations; resolutions, decisions and orders of State organs; other documents of a legislative, administrative or judicial nature; and their official translations;
• (2) news on current affairs; and
• (3) calendars, numerical tables and forms of general use, and formulas.

It should be noted that, aside from copyright laws, China has some laws which disallow map surveying/production. See China#Legality

根据《中华人民共和国著作权法》第五条，中华人民共和国法律、法规，国家机关的决议、决定、命令和其他具有立法、行政、司法性质的文件，及其官方正式译文不适用于该法。作品在中华人民共和国大陆和其他地区属于公有领域。

第五条　本法不适用于：

（一）法律、法规，国家机关的决议、决定、命令和其他具有立法、行政、司法性质的文件，及其官方正式译文；

（二）时事新闻；

（三）历法、通用数表、通用表格和公式。