'Shanzhai'culturenowincrosshairsByWangXing(ChinaDaily) 　　Updated:2009-05-1808:06Comments(0)PrintMail 　　AGeelyGEsedanatlastmonth's2009ShanghaiAutoShow.ThemodeliswidelycalledtheChinese"Shanzhai"versionofaRolls-Royce.Asianewsphoto 　　Chinamaytightenitscontrolovertherampant"Shanzhai"culture,astopofficialsfromtheStateIntellectualPropertyOffice(SIPO)havecriticizedthephenomenonaspiracy. 　　TianLipu,directorofSIPO,saidatapressconferenceinAprilthatthepopularShanzhai,orcopycatculture,isnotanexampleofinnovation.HesaidmanyShanzhaiproductsactuallyhaveviolatedothers'intellectualpropertyandshouldberegardedaspiracyratherthaninnovation. 　　"Thereisnocountrythatcansurviveandthriveonpiracyandthat'swhywehaveestablishedthenationalintellectualpropertyprotectionstrategytofightfortheseacts,"saidTian.Hesaidonlybymakingashiftinthesocialcultureandinpeople'smindsetscanChinareducepiracy. 　　Shanzhai,whichliterallymeans"mountainvillage"inChinese,isnowapopularcontemporaryInternetslangtermreferringtocopycatorcloneculture. 　　OriginallystemmingfromthepiratingofflagshipproductsofbigelectroniccompaniessuchasApple'siPhone,thetermcouldnowrefertocopycatsofalmosteverything,includingautos,websitesorevensupersingers.MostbigbrandssuchasBMW,OLAYandNokiahavebeenvictimsoftheShanzhaiproducts,whichhavesimilardesignsbutaresoldatanastonishinglylowprice. 　　SomepeoplesaythatShanzhaiproductsarenotallpiracy.Someoftheproductsweresimilartothoseofbigcompanies,theyargue,buttheShanzhaionesalsoaddednewfunctions.Hiphone,forexample,theShanzhaieditionofApple'siPhone,enablessendingofmultimediashortmessagesandreceivingradio,whichApplefailedtosupportinitsproducts. 　　Theseadditionalfunctions,theysay,canalsobecalledakindofinnovationandshouldbeencouraged. 　　Chinahastheworld'slargestmanufacturingcapacityandproducesalargeshareoftheworld'sgoodssuchaselectronics,textilesandautos.ThathasputChinesemanufacturers,especiallythesmallones,inauniquepositioninreleasingtheirowncopycatproductsaftertheyhavefinishedwhattheyhavebeenorderedtoproduce. 　　Somecopycatproducts,suchasthefakeiPhoneNano,wereevenreleasedbeforetheauthenticproductswerelaunched. 　　However,TiansaidtheShanzhaiculturedoesnotdeservetobeapplaudedbecauseitisanillegalaction. 　　TaoXinliang,deanofShanghaiUniversityIntellectualPropertySchool,saidthetermShanzhaiisacomplexconceptthatmixesbothlegalandillegalmoves.Hesaidthetermmaynotlastlongaspeople'senthusiasmforthisculturefadesaway. 　　Infact,someChineseeliteshavealreadyproposedrestrictingtheShanzhaiculture.NiPing,afamedtelevisionanchorwomanandmemberoftheChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference,saidshehassubmittedaproposalcallingforlegalmeanstogetridoftheShanzhaicultureandsupporttheoriginalculturalconcept. 　　"WhilethecountryiscrackingdownonIPRviolations,youngpeopleareenjoyinginfringedworkonline.TheShanzhaiculturehurtstheculturalindustry'sinterest,"NisaidonthesidelinesoftheChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConfer