Software Copyright Certificates in China

Jul 23, 2022

China Copyright Claim
China Copyright Claim


TL;DR If you are looking to publish your mobile apps in China, you need to get the China Software Copyright Certificates.


The Software Copyright Certificate (“SCC”, or “计算机软件著作权”) is used to prove and protect the copyright of your software or mobile app in mainland China. The certificate shows the certificate ID, the name of the software (application), and the company that owns the certificate.

China Software Copyright Certificate
China Software Copyright Certificate



No, but it shows the ownership of the software to the Chinese app stores.


No, you need to apply for a new certificate.


You must show this certificate when you publish your apps in Chinese app stores.

Tip: China’s leading Android app store is Huawei App Market, not Google Play Store.

Due to the massive number of unauthorized apps distributed in local Chinese app stores back then, the Copyright Center of China used the Software Copyright Certificate to remove unauthorized copies of your app using the same or similar names.


No. You need to apply for your copyright and trademark in China to get it protected within mainland China.


Anyone. But keep in mind the filing process and reviewing process are conducted in Chinese. If you are unfamiliar with the process, it could take forever to approve it.


The golden rule is one Software Copyright Certificate per app.


It needs 30+ working days after the application is accepted. If you are new to this procedure or plan to do it yourself, the estimated time is 1 to 2 months because preparing the required material takes time and is not easy to get right at first.


It is the required procedure by the Copyright Protection Center of China. The intention is to show you own the software or the app. During the application review process, the reviewer will assess the sample codes and the software manual you submitted, and all that will be part of the proof you own the software. The SSC also serves as your protection for your software in China.


Yes. The copyright owner can be a foreign company or a legal person. Still, you must submit legal proof certified by the local Chinese consulate or notarized by the local notary office.


How can we help you?

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Clients like Bottega Veneta, Ethereum, Netlify, and many others have partnered with us to support their services and clients in China.

Contact us today, and our experts will explain all you need to know to get mobile apps to publish in China legitimately.


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