'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