"The methods and standards are being drawn up by the Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council. They are expected to be officially promulgated next year," said an official with the National Copyright Administration, who refused to be named.

In 2001, the government amended its copyright law, requiring radio and TV stations to pay fees to copyright holders for playing their recordings unless they have reached other agreements on fees.

However, specific methods and standards are yet to be set out.

The official said Wang Liping, chairman of the Music Copyright Society of China, and Gu Jianfen, vice-chairman, had raised a motion to the legislative National People's Congress (NPC) urging the process be speeded up.

Wang is also a member of the NPC Standing Committee and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy.

Senior government officials had urged a resolution of the issue as soon as possible after learning of the motion, said the official.

He estimated that tens of billions of yuan could be collected in royalties each year.

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