State Council Legal Office Explanation Concerning Public Opinion Seeking on the “Film Industry Stimulation Law of the People’s Republic of China (Opinion-Seeking Draft)”

In order to further strengthen the openness and transparency of legislation, and raise the quality of legislation, the State Council Legal Office has decided to publish the  “Film Industry Stimulation Law of the People’s Republic of China (Opinion-Seeking Draft)” (hereafter simply named “Opinion Seeking Draft”), to solicit the opinions from all walks of society. Hereby, relevant issues are explained as follows:

I, The general line of thought of the “Opinion Seeking Draft”

In order to stimulate the flourishing and development of the film sector, and enrich the popular masses’ spiritual culture life, SARFT has drafted a “Film Industry Stimulation Law of the People’s Republic of China (Opinion-Seeking Draft)” on the basis of summarizing practice and experience, as well as broad investigation and research, and has reported it to the State Council for examination. The State Council Legal Office has, on the basis of fully hearing the opinions of all concerned entities, local people’s governments, experts and scholars, and after repeated research and revision by relevant entities, shaped the “Opinion Seeking Draft”.

In the process of drafting and examination, the following line of thought has been mainly followed: first, lowering market access thresholds, making it convenient for all sorts of market subjects and social capital to enter the film industry. Second, through adopting financial, fiscal, banking, land use and other support measures, encouraging enterprises and individual industry and commerce actors, and individuals to engage in film activities. Third, strengthening supervision and management, standardizing market order, stimulating the healthy development of the film market. Furthermore, strengthening public film services, satisfying the basic cultural requirements of film watching of rural village residents, urban low-income residents, labourers entering the cities, minors, etc.

II, The main content of the “Opinion Seeking Draft”

The “Opinion Seeking Draft” in total has six chapters and 62 articles, corresponding systems have been stipulated according to segments such as film production, shooting, distribution, screening, etc., concrete guarantee measures and legal liabilities have also been stipulated. The main systems and measures stipulated in the “Opinion Seeking Draft” are the following:

(1) lowering market access thresholds, making it convenient for all kinds of market subjects and social capital to enter the film industry. First, lowering market access thresholds for engaging in work such as film production, etc. It is no longer required that enterprises engaging in film shooting work “have a sponsoring work unit and its managing organ that conform to State Council administrative radio, film and television entity accreditation”, so as to not restrict social capital to invest in film shooting work, etc. Second is the reduction of administrative examination and approval. Enterprises having obtained a “Film Shooting Permit” shooting films must only submit the film script or film script outline for filing; enterprises or individual industry and commerce actors engaging in mobile film screening work, must only submit the relevant situation for filing; domestic films that are to obtain the “Public Film Screening Permit” that are submitted for participation in foreign film festivals (exhibitions), must only submit relevant materials for filing. Third, strengthening information openness. In order to make it easy for investors to understand corresponding information and avoid duplicate investment, the radio, film and television controlling authority shall submit the basic situation of corresponding films as well as the basic situation of film distribution enterprises and cinemas approved for establishment for publication. (Article 15, Article 16, Article 26, Article 28, Article 32, Article 33).

(2) Through adopting financial, fiscal, banking, land use and other support measures, encouraging enterprises and individual industry and commerce actors, and individuals, to engage in film activities. First, the State stimulates film industry development through establishing special film funds and capital, etc, guides corresponding special cultural industry funds and capitals to expand investment strength into the film industry. Second, for engaging in domestic film production, shooting, distribution, screening, etc., it is permitted to enjoy fiscal benefits according to relevant State regulations. Third, the State encourages funding organs, insurance organs, guarantee organs, etc., to provide support to film enterprises according to the law. Fourth, the State formulates preferential policies to promote and support the construction and renovation of cinemas, and grants support in aspects such as land use, etc. Fifth, the State encourages social forces to develop the film industry through methods such as investment and sponsoring, etc, and to grant preferences according to the law. (Article 42 to Article 48)

(3) Strengthening supervision and management, standardizing market order, stimulating the healthy development of the film market. First, the controlling radio, film and television authority shall establish and perfect supervision systems, implement its supervision duties, strengthen daily supervision and management over film activities, and safeguard the film market order. Second, cinemas may not evade taxes or underreport box office income; cinemas participating in cinema chain enterprises, shall install computer ticket sales systems conform to State standards. Third, law enforcement entities shall adopt powerful steps, to punish infringement of intellectual property rights related to film according to the law. (Article 5, Article 37, Article 49)

Furthermore, the “Opinion Seeking Draft” also strengthens public film services by providing the following systems and measures: first, county-level and higher People’s Governments shall support rural film undertaking development, wholly plan and guarantee that in every village of every rural region one film is screened every month. Second, the State Council controlling authorities for education, and radio, film and television shall bring film and television education into compulsory education school and teaching planning, guarantee that students watch at least two films per term that benefit the healthy growing up of minors. Third, local People’s Governments may adopt measures such as providing film tickets, organizing special screenings, giving award-type subsidies to relevant film enterprises, etc., to satisfy the basic cultural requirements of minors as well as low-income masses to watch films. (Article 34, Article 35)

III. Method to put forward opinions

Relevant work units and personalities from all walks of society may before 15 January 2012 put forward opinions through the following three sorts of methods:

(1) Registering on the Chinese Government Legal System Information Website (URL: http://www.chinalaw.gov.cn), through the “Laws and Regulation Draft Opinion Gathering System: on the left of the website’s main page, putting forward opinions concerning the “Opinion Seeking Draft”.

(2) Through the letter method sending opinions to: PO Box 2067, Beijing Municipality (post code: 100035), and please indicate the characters “Film Industry Stimulation Law Opinion Seeking” on the envelope.

(3) Through the e-mail method sending opinions to: dianying@chinalaw.gov.cn.

国务院法制办公室关于《中华人民共和国电影产业促进法（征求意见稿）》

公开征求意见的说明

为进一步增强立法的公开性和透明度，提高立法质量，国务院法制办公室决定公布《中华人民共和国电影产业促进法（征求意见稿）》（以下简称《征求意见稿》），征求社会各界意见。现就有关问题说明如下：

一、起草《征求意见稿》的总体思路

为促进电影产业繁荣发展，丰富人民群众精神文化生活，广电总局在总结实践经验、广泛调查研究的基础上，起草了《中华人民共和国电影产业促进法（送审稿）》，报请国务院审查。国务院法制办公室在充分听取各有关部门、地方人民政府和专家学者意见的基础上，经与有关部门反复研究修改，形成了《征求意见稿》。

在起草和审查过程中，主要遵循了以下总体思路：一是降低市场准入门槛，便利各类市场主体、社会资本进入电影产业。二是通过采取财政、税收、金融、用地等扶持措施，激励企业、个体工商户和个人从事电影活动。三是加强监督管理，规范市场秩序，促进电影市场健康发展。此外，加强电影公益服务，满足农村地区居民、城镇低收入居民、进城务工人员、未成年人等观看电影的基本文化需求。

二、《征求意见稿》的主要内容

《征求意见稿》共六章六十二条，按照电影创作、摄制、发行、放映等环节规定了相应的制度，并规定了具体的保障措施和法律责任。《征求意见稿》规定的主要制度和措施如下：

（一）降低市场准入门槛，便利各类市场主体、社会资本进入电影产业。一是降低从事电影摄制等业务的市场准入门槛。不再要求从事电影摄制业务的企业“有符合国务院广播电影电视行政部门认定的主办单位及其主管机关”，对社会资本投资电影摄制等业务不作限制。二是减少行政审批。取得《电影摄制许可证》的企业摄制电影，只需将电影剧本或者电影剧本梗概予以备案；企业或者个体工商户从事电影流动放映业务，只需将有关情况予以备案；将取得《电影公映许可证》的国产电影送往境外参加电影节（展）的，只需将有关材料予以备案。三是加强信息公开。为便于投资者了解相关信息、避免重复投资，广播电影电视主管部门应当将有关电影的基本情况以及批准设立的电影发行企业、电影院的基本情况予以公布。（第十五条、第十六条、第二十六条、第二十八条、第三十二条、第三十三条）

（二）通过采取财政、税收、金融、用地等扶持措施，激励企业、个体工商户和个人从事电影活动。一是国家通过设立电影专项资金、基金等促进电影产业发展，引导相关文化产业专项资金、基金加大对电影产业的投入力度。二是从事国产电影的创作、摄制、发行、放映等活动，可以按照国家有关规定享受税收优惠。三是国家鼓励金融机构、保险机构、担保机构等依法为电影企业提供支持。四是国家制定优惠政策，推动和扶持电影院的建设和改造，并在用地等方面给予支持。五是国家鼓励社会力量以投资、捐赠等方式发展电影产业，并依法给予优惠。（第四十二条至第四十八条）

（三）加强监督管理，规范市场秩序，促进电影市场健康发展。一是广播电影电视主管部门应当建立健全监督制度，履行监督责任，加强对电影活动的日常监督管理，维护电影市场秩序。二是电影院不得偷漏瞒报票房收入；加盟电影院线企业的电影院，应当安装符合国家标准的计算机售票系统。三是执法部门应当采取有力措施，依法惩治侵犯与电影有关的知识产权的行为。（第五条、第三十七条、第四十九条）

此外，《征求意见稿》还就加强电影公益服务规定了以下制度和措施：一是县级以上人民政府应当扶持农村电影事业发展，统筹保障农村地区每个村每个月至少放映一场电影。二是国务院教育、广播电影电视主管部门应当将影视教育纳入义务教育学校教学计划，保障学生每学期至少观看两次有利于未成年人健康成长的电影。三是地方人民政府可以采取发放电影票、组织专场放映、给有关电影企业发放奖励性补贴等措施，满足未成年人以及低收入群体观看电影的基本文化需求。（第三十四条、第三十五条）

三、提出意见的方式

有关单位和社会各界人士可以在2012年1月15日前，通过以下3种方式提出意见：

（一）登录中国政府法制信息网（网址：http://www.chinalaw.gov.cn），通过网站首页左侧的《法规规章草案意见征集系统》，对《征求意见稿》提出意见。

（二）通过信函方式将意见寄送至：北京市2067信箱（邮政编码：100035），并请在信封上注明“电影产业促进法征求意见”字样。

（三）通过电子邮件方式将意见发送至：dianying@chinalaw.gov.cn。

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