Heh heh, I was amused to read this article from the New York Times.
Looks like spells & potions & charms are not going to protect Harry Potter from the rampages of Chinese piracy. This takes copyright violation to a whole new level.
The lure of making a buck is so strong in this country; the response of a Chinese publisher of bootleg Harry Potter books says it all:
“We published the book out of a very common incentive. Harry Potter was so popular that we wanted to enjoy the fruits of its widely accepted publicity in China.”
Bootleg DVDs & CDs, clothes, handbags, shoes....the list goes on. It is SOOOO rampant here, I don't see how the Chinese government is going to clamp down on it in its on-going attempt to put on a good "face" for the 2008 Olympics.
It's an uphill battle. Especially when the Chinese people themselves don't really understand (or probably, don't really care about) the concept of intellectual property & copyright. See what another Chinese publisher says:
“Everything would have been fine if they hadn’t made the cover so obvious, even if you copied some sections of the original story,” she said. “But the cover was so outstanding, and foreign people care a lot about things like that.”
Well, until the Chinese people also care a lot about "things like that", I don't think piracy is going to go away anytime soon. Right now, they're talking the talk. But it will be some time yet before they walk the walk.
3 comments:
Dear doc, I've been a loyal follower of your blog ever since I stumbled on it earlier this year. I find your opinions both entertaining and well-substantiated.
There is an issue which I would like to ask of your opinion. Recently, my 18 yr old niece took hormonal injections because she felt her breasts were too small. The attending doctor, who is a women's specialist, assured her that there were NO risks involved but I had read some reports on the contrary. What do you think?
-Jan
hi Jan, I think she (and her mom, preferably) should get a second opinion from an endocrinologist or gynae. I have not heard of such a treatment for breast enlargement. Hormones are powerful stuff,& I too would have reservations about its use.
I love the bigotry in this article. And furthermore, how it doesn't address the other side of the debate for intellectual property ...
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