More than 80 Chinese film and TV scriptwriters have collectively filed a petition to the State Administration of Film, Radio and Television (SARFT) demanding greater recognition and rights protection.

The scriptwriters' three major demands are: to ensure their names are credited in the proper places in films and TV programmes; to ensure they are paid and paid on time, and to ensure that SARFT censors review scripts only after disputesbetween writers andproducers over content have been settled in the courts.

The writers are also demanding that SARFT reject films and TV programmes if the producer has violated any of the three demands.

Following the case of the Writers Guild Of America (WGA) strike, the Chinese writers are also demanding profit shares from audiovisual and online revenue.

The petition was drawn up during last week's national scriptwriters meeting and marks the first collective action of China 's scriptwriters to voice their rights. It also demanded that China 's major film awards should recognise scriptwriters, including the introduction of a scriptwriter award category at the Full Blossom Awards.

The morale of the meeting was obviously boosted by the result of the recent WGA strike in Hollywood.

Wang Xingdong, chairman of the Chinese Film Literature Association and a member of the National Committee of Political Consultative Conference, said he would mention these issues to the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which unveils today.

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