Chinese writers' group sues Apple
By Zha Minjie |
March 19, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S copyright authorities are investigating claims that Apple is offering some Chinese writers' works at its App Store without authorization.
A Chinese writers' alliance has filed a lawsuit in Beijing demanding 50 million yuan (US$7.9 million) compensation. The alliance told China Central Television that it had not yet received a reply from Apple.
The lawsuit is the alliance's latest move targeting copyright violations after it wrote to both Baidu and Apple last year.
"We are confident of winning the lawsuit and we will stick to it," alliance representative Bei Zhicheng told reporters.
Bei said Apple had told the writers that "it has already deleted some unauthorized works" after hearing that the alliance was taking court action.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 22 writers, involves 95 books that have allegedly been offered illegally at Apple's App Store. Apple users can download the works after paying a fee or even get some of them for free.
The writers include the bestselling Han Han and "White Deer Plain" author Chen Zhongshi. The alliance says that a large company like Apple to be taking advantage of writers is a moral issue.
Bei said the compensation they were asking for was high because many of the books were among the most popular in China.
Apple said that the company understood the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and would "respond properly and timely" to complaints.
The National Copyright Administration confirmed over the weekend that the App Store was suspected of piracy and copyright infringement according to the evidence provided by the writers' alliance.
An insider, surnamed Lin, who was involved in developing e-books on the App Store, told Xinhua news agency yesterday that Apple took around 30 percent of total sales of illegal copies sold by other companies on the platform.
Lin said the App Store does not demand uploaders to provide copyright certificates and the pirated copy is approved directly.
Legal experts in Beijing told CCTV that Apple lacked supervision on what is sold or freely provided at the App Store.
The writers' alliance has urged Apple to follow Chinese laws to provide copyright certification of books being sold at the App Store, but the company has failed to do so, Bei said.
Around 20 million people in China using Apple products and its App Store, but many don't know the platform is selling illegal copies of books, said Bei.
Last year, Baidu, China's biggest online search engine, deleted 2.8 million unauthorized works of literature following protests.
A Chinese writers' alliance has filed a lawsuit in Beijing demanding 50 million yuan (US$7.9 million) compensation. The alliance told China Central Television that it had not yet received a reply from Apple.
The lawsuit is the alliance's latest move targeting copyright violations after it wrote to both Baidu and Apple last year.
"We are confident of winning the lawsuit and we will stick to it," alliance representative Bei Zhicheng told reporters.
Bei said Apple had told the writers that "it has already deleted some unauthorized works" after hearing that the alliance was taking court action.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 22 writers, involves 95 books that have allegedly been offered illegally at Apple's App Store. Apple users can download the works after paying a fee or even get some of them for free.
The writers include the bestselling Han Han and "White Deer Plain" author Chen Zhongshi. The alliance says that a large company like Apple to be taking advantage of writers is a moral issue.
Bei said the compensation they were asking for was high because many of the books were among the most popular in China.
Apple said that the company understood the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and would "respond properly and timely" to complaints.
The National Copyright Administration confirmed over the weekend that the App Store was suspected of piracy and copyright infringement according to the evidence provided by the writers' alliance.
An insider, surnamed Lin, who was involved in developing e-books on the App Store, told Xinhua news agency yesterday that Apple took around 30 percent of total sales of illegal copies sold by other companies on the platform.
Lin said the App Store does not demand uploaders to provide copyright certificates and the pirated copy is approved directly.
Legal experts in Beijing told CCTV that Apple lacked supervision on what is sold or freely provided at the App Store.
The writers' alliance has urged Apple to follow Chinese laws to provide copyright certification of books being sold at the App Store, but the company has failed to do so, Bei said.
Around 20 million people in China using Apple products and its App Store, but many don't know the platform is selling illegal copies of books, said Bei.
Last year, Baidu, China's biggest online search engine, deleted 2.8 million unauthorized works of literature following protests.
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