Shortage of innovation harms creative exports(2)

The US' annual production value totaled $1.68 trillion in in 2011 - more than triple China's - and contributed 11.16 percent of its GDP.

Zhao Bing, director of the copyright research center affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, attributed China's meager exports to the country's lack of creativity in key areas.

"The shortage of innovation in our cultural industry and software development has hampered our export products' ability to earn customers in the mainstream markets overseas," Zhao said.

China had to import 16,639 kinds of copyrights in various areas and exported only 7,783 in 2011.

Publications about traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts and preschool education contributed the lion's share of China's exported copyrighted products. Most were sold to Asian countries, and Chinese communities in Europe and North America, the analysis said.

Translation is a major obstacle for the international marketability of Chinese publications, artworks and audiovisual products, East China University of Political Science and Law intellectual property professor Wang Qian said. "China's cultural products face a language barrier in mainstream markets overseas."

"This is another hurdle for copyrighted exports' growth, along with a lack of creativity."

Still, better translation has helped bridged the barrier, Wang said, citing Chinese writer Mo Yan's Nobel Prize win.

The country should continue to improve intellectual property rights' protection by updating laws and strengthening punishments on infringements to boost copyrighted products' exports, Wang suggested.

"Only through the defense of the benefits of the rights' holders and investors will more people be encouraged to create more works and products with independent copyrights," Wang said.