Chinese bloggers that arouse society's increasing scrutiny are creating a wave to protect their intellectual property right (IPR). Many protest that other people constantly infringe upon their IPR.
Not long ago, a female blogger in China sued a famous website for reproducing her article without her permission and asked for a compensation of 100,000 yuan (US$12,500). At present there are more than 60 million blog users and readers in China, and essays on many renowned blogs are warmly welcome by readers.
This female blogger's action stirred up a wave of IPR protectionist sentiments among Chinese bloggers. In Changsha, capital city of China's Hunan Province, many a well-known blogger host a salon of "IPR protection" and call for authorities to "severely crack down on IPR infringement."
Blogger Wang Xiaofeng, who became famous for his blog "the massage breast," said that a certain newspaper has copied his column for half a year while he knew nothing about that. He discovered that all the contents on the "column" were copied from his blog.
Another blogger complained that his article was published on 50 newspapers, of which only three sent him his remuneration. The remaining 47 did not even call him.
Bloggers stated that they were not opposed to the press publishing or editing their work, just that the press should ask for their permission and then pay the author's remuneration. "We do not know the author or his/her contact details" should not be used as excuses to steal their articles.
Nonetheless, they do not agree with the above-mentioned female blogger's courageous action to bring the case to court. "We have no way out though we know our rights have been infringed upon, because it costs too much to protect IPR, and time and energy consumed in a lawsuit are not commensurate with any possible legal compensation," said a blogger.
(China News Service June 22, 2006)
