Results tagged “copyright”

In a not too surprising turn of events, Microsoft 7 has been "released" early to the Chinese market. The New York Times reports that a week before the official Windows OS release date, electronics markets all across Shanghai are bursting with copies of the new software for around just 20RMB, not to mention that the software has been available on Taobao for weeks already. Microsoft has already lowered the price for their software to reflect Chinese wallets, but at 399RMB, its still 20 times more expensive than its pirated counterpart. While we'll be good kids and buy the real version, we bet locals will have a hard time justifying 399 yuan versus 20 yuan when it's practically the same thing. That's like a different of 379 baozi!

• Trade Group Rules Against China’s Limits on Media Imports [NY Times] "A World Trade Organization panel ruled on Wednesday that China had violated international free trade rules by limiting imports of books and movies, in a decision that buttresses growing complaints from the United States and Europe about Chinese trade policies. The W.T.O. decision in Geneva is a victory for the United States at a time when a growing number of business executives and politicians perceive China as becoming increasingly nationalistic in its trade policies."
• Heavy Metal Warfare [Caijing] "Seven-year-old Liu Bingqing died in December 2008, two years after he was diagnosed with cadmium poisoning. In Xinma Village, Majiahe Township, Zhuzhou City, in central China's Hunan Province. Liu was not the first to die from contact with this toxic, bluish-white metal, a by-product of zinc production. In early 2006, the sudden death of his fellow villager, Luo Shaokun, had already sparked cadmium-related health and environmental concerns. A government-administered physical test found excessive levels of cadmium in the urine of more than 1,100 Xinma villagers, with severely excessive levels in 200 residents. "
• China's Cancer-Causing Factories [CBS News] "Deng Dingfu is living out his final days wracked with the pain of lung cancer - lung cancer blamed on toxic pollution, reports CBS News Correspondent Celia Hatton. "My doctor asked me if I live near a chemical plant," he said. In fact, he lives very close to one. The Red Butterfly Chemical Factory lies right in the heart of central China's Yong Xi village. Since 2002, the plant has processed strontium carbonate, a powerful substance used in color TV screens. Dozens of people describe how the factory's waste is making them sick. Many say they've developed painful rashes from the village water. Several people have been arrested for speaking out. But locals showed no fear when a plainclothes police officer confronted a CBS news crew. The angry crowd eventually drove him away. "

Chinese premier leaves Beijing for European tour [Xinhua]

China Tech News reports that about 80 copyright holders will be ganging up on Tudou for copyright infringement. Some of these companies in the alliance include Joy.cn, Beijing Polybona Film Distribution, Beijing Orange Sky Entertainment Group and SFS Emperor and are said to be suing for RMB10 million. Tudou is a video sharing website that is bigger than YouTube in China showing 1.2 billion videos each month including bootlegged versions of TV shows and clips from Hollywood movies. Tudou, possibly in response to this suit, will be launching a reporting system for copyright owners after Spring Festival that they are currently testing. Of course the alliance could be fishing for some of that $85 million they raised in funding, most of which is apparently just sitting in the bank.

This photo is from Warner Star Park, an amusement park that has been set up next to the Lu Xun Park in Hongkou district. According to Hongkou's local government this park will be open daily until the end of August. We think the combination of Tweety Bird, Batman and Scooby Doo sounds like a lot of fun, although we are not entirely sure about the copyright here. It reminds us a little about Beijing's Shijingshan Amusement Park, doesn't it?

• The city's environmental work now focuses on drinking water. In one year, if things work out according to plan, Shanghai's water is supposed to be good enough to drink directly from the tap. City officials say that this vision will realized with the completion of the biggest reservoir in Shanghai, the Qingcaosha Reservoir, close to Chongming Island and a new pipe network. Could this be the beginning of the end for bottled water?
• A campaign to get more expats to donate blood has been started by the The Shanghai Blood Centre in a move to build up reserves of uncommon blood types. Rare types such as Rh negative are more common among Westerners than Chinese, and stocks of this blood type are often scarce. So if you know you have a rare blood type, donate ! If you don't, do it anyways.
• Chinese universities are gaining in status, though none of them have yet reached the world's top 100 list. At the top of this year's Top 100 Asia Pacific list, however, we find Shanghai's well known Jiaotong University, up from a previous 14th place.