Dissident Sues Law Professor For Copyright Infringement

Wang Tiancheng, a Chinese dissident, of all people, persuaded a Beijing court to accept his lawsuit against Prof. Zhou Yezhong of Wuhan University. Geoffrey York wrote an article about plagiarism in Chinese academics for the Globe & Mail.

Wang alleges that Prof. Zhou plagiarized 46 paragraphs in his latest law book, copying more than 6,000 Chinese characters. Law professor He Weifang of Beijing University wanted to expose prof. Zhou, but the China Youth Daily didn't want to run his story. Prof. He conducted a study and found out that Prof. Zhou has plagiarised at five least six scholars in his recent book.

"Academic corruption has become "a social tumour that has permeated many parts of the academic world in China," the Shanghai Daily commented. "The fundamental problem with China's academics is that few people value professionalism and many worship quick wealth.""

How big is the problem? In a survey by the Chinese Science Ministery of 180 doctorates, around 60 percent admitted copying the work of others.

Read York's article Copycats running wild in China's universities, Plagiarism by professors and students a sign of growing academic corruption here.

Read more about China's academic culture of plagiarism:
China's Academics plagued by Plagiarism here
On Chinese Patchwriting here.