Strongly Condemning U.S. Apple Inc. for “Stealing”

Strongly Condemning U.S. Apple Inc.’s website for “Stealing” My Works
Shi Hanbing

I have received a letter from an oversea reader recently, saying that U.S. Apple Inc.’s website is selling the electronic version of my new works The Grand Trends（《时寒冰说：经济大棋局，我们怎么办》） in its website starting from Sept. 13th this year. The website is http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id463465835?mt=8
The reader suspects the above sales is illegal because he hasn’t seen any authorization by me or my publishing house. Indeed. My publishing house and I have never authorized anyone or any enterprises in the United States to sell the electronic version of my works. The seller named “Peter Li” sells my works illegally at the price of US$4.99 in U.S. Apple Inc.’s website. That is “stealing” and selling the stolen goods openly.
The Grand Trends（《时寒冰说：经济大棋局，我们怎么办》）, which is popular with many readers, is the fruit of my many years’ painstaking labor. I’m fully aware the hardships borne by the creators, so I respect their labor. I adhere to the fundamental principles of intellectual property. About a hundred photos and cartoons are used in my works The Grand Trends（《时寒冰说：经济大棋局，我们怎么办》）, all the royalties of them was paid.
Respecting intellectual property reflects the progress of mankind. The United States, which attaches importance to intellectual property protecting, often imposes sanctions to other countries which do less in protecting intellectual property. However, Apple Inc., unfortunately, has set a bad example. The publishing house tells me that Apple Inc. has “stolen” many times the works of Chinese writers and sells them in its website. The sales revenue of Apple Inc. in 2010 is up to US$65.225 billion and the net profit is US$14.013 billion. However, Apple Inc. turns a blind eye to intellectual property protecting. It provides a platform for the illegal profiteers and shares the illegal profits with them, thus reducing itself to a accomplice of the civilized “pickpocket”. I’d like to ask Apple Inc., how much in your profits is got by colluding with the “thief”? What do you think, this is your honor or your shame?
As a well-known international company and popular with the consumers, Apple Inc. connives at “stealing” so openly that it has not only infringed the rights of the publishing house and mine but also set a bad example to the readers. Each person of conscience will be angry and ashamed of Apple Inc.’s connivance to infringement.
I am fully aware that there are defects in China’s law concerning intellectual property protecting. I’m not sure whether Apple Inc.’s act of conniving infringement is based on this. But I strongly condemn Apple Inc.’s act of deviating from its enterprise idea and misleading the public. Meanwhile, I’d like to call for a boycott of any unauthorized products illegally sold by Apple Inc.’s website.
If Apple Inc. ’s website continues permitting the infringer illegally selling my works in its website, I will consider to sue it in an American law court.
1/10/2011

With photo 1: Screenshot of my works “stolen” and sold by Apple Inc.’s website

With photo 2: Screenshot of my works “stolen” and sold by Apple Inc.’s website(part)

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