While the United States is the only country which gives incentives for copyright registration, the concept of having a centralized location for the issuance of registration and the exhibition of works is catching on in other nations. The copyright registration fee is seen as an easy victimless tax; and the database of the works created a good benchmark and chronicle of an era and the creators in that era.

The Chinese Copyright Center will be located in Shanghai and will be focused especially on the protection, design, service and trading of cartoon and animation works. The tertiary benefit would be to boost awareness of copyright in a country beleagured by counterfeit and piracy of copyright.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) maintains its own copyright office and a good summary is provided on the Wang and Wang web site.

The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (“CARU”) issued a press release today stating that food company Kellogg’s, which markets to children on children’s programming, has agreed to remove the tagline It’s the Fruit Snack with a Twist from its “Twistables” fruit-flavored snacks. The press release also stated that Kellogg’s has agreed to remove from its television ads, a voice-over stating that the product is “Made With Real Fruit.”

CARU was concerned that the use of “fruit snack” in the advertising and the voice-over stating that the product was “made with real fruit,” would give children the impression that the product was mostly fruit. Kellogg’s agreed to change the voice over to “fruit-flavored.” Very good, Kellogg’s. You get a (fruit-flavored, partially hydrogenated, made-with-real-fruit pieces) red apple.