Laugh of the day: The Expo IPR protection exhibition

Oh my: apparently China is very concerned over the illegal and improper use of licensed emblems for the Shanghai Expo. In fact, they're so concerned about intellectual property theft that they decided to have a mini expo about it. And you can go too!

For the next week, the World Exposition intellectual property rights protection exhibition will be open to the public at the Expo Exposition (does this seem redundant?) Center at 300 Huaihai Zhong Lu. Gasp at the 61 different Expo emblems for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo! Recoil in shock as you feel the difference between real, licenced plush Haibao dolls and the fake ones ubiquitously sold across China! Note the many...different world flags on display!

According to the deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, IPR is the fundamental key in having participants...well, in having participants, period. We're not buying it: we're pretty sure that anyone who's participating in the Expo has already come to peace with the fact that intellectual property rights will be infringed upon. And we're not even going to joke about the irony of both a) the government becoming concerned over IPR theft when they see the beloved Haibao being knocked off and b) staging a exhibition in the expo expo center to prove their resolve.

We don't think we'll make it to this one, but if you're curious and in the area, tell us about it.