China's Creative Industries: Copyright, Social Network Markets and the Business of Culture in a Digital Age

`Digital economy policy for the creative industries is framed too commonly in terms of refining and strengthening intellectual property rights. As digitalization grows in scope and importance, Lucy Montgomery's intriguing book shows how the limitations of this narrow approach have become all too apparent, as China's creative industries are thriving in an ever increasing digital global society because (and not despite) of the fact that their businesses, innovations, skills and markets have grown up with weak copyright enforcement regimes.'
- Birgitte Andersen, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK

`Lucy Montgomery brings together thought-provoking insights into China's cultural and creative sectors, notably the shift from official culture to entrepreneurial consumers, the relative unimportance of copyright compared to Western economies, and the need for us to understand evolutionary economics. The result is a new model of China's online networks as a public source of cultural products. Her book should be required reading everywhere that wants to understand what is happening in China.'
- John Howkins, City University, London, Howkins & Associates, Shanghai and author of Creative Ecologies

China's Creative Industries explores the role of new technologies, globalization and higher levels of connectivity in re-defining relationships between `producers' and `consumers' in 21st century China.

The evolution of new business models, the impact of state regulation, the rise of entrepreneurial consumers and the role of intellectual property rights are traced through China's film, music and fashion industries. The book argues that social network markets, consumer entrepreneurship and business model evolution are driving forces in the production and commercialization of cultural commodities. In doing so it raises important questions about copyright's role in the business of culture, particularly in a digital age.

With a specially commissioned foreword by John Hartley, this insightful book will appeal to post-graduate students and academic researchers in China and Asian studies, intellectual property, cultural studies, film, music and fashion studies, cultural economics and innovation management. People working in the creative industries with an interest in devising strategies for expansion into the Chinese market, as well as people working in the creative industries outside China with an interest in developing successful digital strategies, will also find much to interest them in this book.