Following the Notification released by the Copyright Protection Center of China (CPCC) on May 25, 2023, the CPCC will commence a trial operation of online software copyright registration from June 1, 2023, with the aim of promoting development of software registration and enhancing its efficiency.

From June 1, applicants and agents are required to follow the guidelines of the CPCC's software registration system, furnish the necessary information online, upload relevant documents, and digitally submit the reviewed application to the CPCC. Software copyright registration submitted online before June 1 will still be processed in the original way. After June 1, however, the CPCC's mail processing department will no longer accept any tangible software copyright registration materials.  The CPCC's Tianqiao Copyright Registration Hall will also continue to accept software copyright registration and provide inquiry services until June 30. 

Since the CPCC already implemented both online and offline parallel measures last year, the changes to the software copyright registration will minimally impact applicants as long as materials are submitted online beforehand. In terms of material preparation, we highly recommend that the applicants first consult with the agency about the requirements (e.g., the instruction booklet) to expedite the online registration process. 

In accordance with Article 20 of the "Regulations on the Registration of Computer Software Copyright", the CPCC will review the applications within 60 natural days from the date of acceptance. The actual date of the certificate’s issuance by the CPCC should be considered final. If the applicant has a deadline for obtaining the certificate, we recommended preparing application materials in advance to expedite the process.