Guest Writer Michiel Tjoe-Awie: 'Intellectual Property in Daily Life Beijing'

Mr Michiel Tjoe-Awie has traveled extensively throughout China. Although he studied law he does not practise it, at the moment he is working as a banker. IP Dragon appreciates Mr Tjoe-Awie's sharp mind. He can write about almost anything. Sometimes in an entertaining, sometimes in a inquiring way, but always in an interesting way. IP Dragon has asked him to join as a guest writer and use his China experience to comment on a consumer level about intellectual property in China.

By Michiel Tjoe-Awie
November 2008 was the third time I visited Beijing. The first time was in May 2007, the second time in April 2008, just before the Olympics. Beijing had changed every time. In May 2008 I stayed in China for two weeks in which I visited Beijing at the beginning and the end of my stay. I was located in a hotel in the biggest shopping street of Beijing: the Wafujing Da Jie. It had already been midnight when my plane, at the end of my stay, landed in Beijing. I was brought back by taxi to the inner-city to find my hotel surrounded by a completely new landscape. Construction lights were on and the sidewalks were opened for hundreds of meters to renew the piping. In the middle of the walking area of Wafujing a lot of workers were kneeled down with a hammer and a chisel, to avoid a bad press by broken foreign bones by drawing lines in the newly slippery pavements. They worked all night until nine in the morning. This, I realized, was why I was offered the street side room with such a big discount.

Being in Beijing for the first time, the city had overwhelmed me with her kindness and electricity. With the friendliness of some and the rudeness of others. With her greatness and all her small-scale businesses, both legal and illegal. In almost every subway station, salesmen were seated on the ground spreading their DVD’s of the newest movies on blankets. Later on I found out that brand clothes were sold at big indoor, seven departments high clothes markets. An adidas jacket was sold for one hundred Renminbi (ten euro) but could be bargained down till seventy Renminbi. Dolce & Gabbana boxers were sold for only ten Renminbi.

D&B-boxers, sold on clothes markets in Beijing, 4 November 2008

On the street, t-shirts were sold with the Olympic mascots for twenty Renminbi (two euro) a piece. At more central places you could find sport shops selling brand clothes for unsuspicious prizes. But they were scarce and easily recognized by their lack of costumers.

In April 2008, after almost a year Beijing didn’t seem to have changed much. But this was just appearance because four metrolines were almost coming out of the oven, all the pavement and piping of the Wafujie Da Jie-area was renewed and the new buildings in front of the shopping area only needed some make-up to contribute to Beijing’s modern face. IP-wise changes weren’t visible. DVDs and brand clothes were just as easy accessible as before.

Street sale in Haerbin, 2 November 2008

In November 2008, all the pre-Olympic efforts to present Beijing to the world as a modern citywere completed and already in use for more than three months. Except for the stadiums and other structures directly linked to sports and the Olympics, the most impressive development is maybe the expansion of the subway system. Within a year four new lines where opened with a total length of 85 km. The IP-system, also seemed to have profited from China’s efforts to charm the West. Must be noted that my source are just my eyes during a short stop in Beijing. However the changes are striking: no more street sales in or around the subway stations. Instead the selling of DVD’s seemed to have gone underground. Women on bikes lure “waiguoren” (foreigners) to come with them to buy DVDs. On the other hand the more formal shops still exist. They sell complete tv-series nicely boxed, but clearly illegal: during watching the viewer is getting informed about the next program that is coming up on the evening the serie was originally broadcasted. Most movies are subtitled with the original audio language. They seem to be translated from audio to Chinese and then from written Chinese back into the original audio language. These are two separate processes. While the translation to Chinese is done skillfully, the English subtitles are sometimes so bad that they are impossible to understand. Not all the subtitles bear quality. Some series are adequately subtitled but are just lacking the scripture of one or two “difficult” words in a sentence. Often words that don’t come easy for the Chinese ear or are spoken sofly. A sentence like: “I am inspired” becomes: “I am xxxxx”. Even more funny are some of the commentaries on the DVD-boxes. These texts meant to persuade the costumer to buy the movie, sometimes have the opposite effect. The commentaries are often copied from a internet side where opinions about movies are shared. While some Chinese, working in the copying industry do not master the English language they cannot distinguish a poor written opinion from a more structured or appealing one, so they just seem to pick randomly, for example:

“This is a very good movie. I watched it with my mother. She is almost seventy now but still likes movies a lot. After the movie I bought the book but I didn’t really enjoyed it as much as the movie.”

Even more funny are the opposing opinions, they are rare but sweet:

“This movie is horrible stupid. Watching it is a waste of time. Cage had made much better ones. Don’t make the mistake I made to be attracted by his name.”

In the clothes department the cards often seem to be written by a dyslectic linguistic with a talent to mix languages into something challenging. On a “Lacoste”-shirt I found the following text attached.

SOID EXCIUSIVEIY THROUGH THE LASOCTE SEIECTIVE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
VENDITA IIMITATA NEI SISTOINA DI DISTRIBUZIONE SELETTIVA LASOCTE
VERLAUT AUSSCHIIESSIICH DURCH DAS NETZ AUSGESUCHTER LASOCTE VERTRAGSHANDIER VENDA EXCIUSIVA POR REDE DE DISTRIBULCAO SELECTIVE LASOCTE

All together It seems that the Chinese authorities made some effort to abandon the DVD-business from the streets. However the more formal looking shops are left alone. As far as the clothes business goes: Wafujing Da Jie upgraded its shops and surroundings. A big mall opened its doors selling exclusive clothes and perfumes from Western companies like: Chanel, Boss and so on. Sport shops have erected and sell clothes for “Western”-prices. Unfortunately these shops are still best recognized by their lack of costumers. But the malls not frequented by foreigners, away from the shopping area of Wafujing Da Jie still offer a great deal of choice of all kinds of brand clothing’s against prices that awaken the suspicion of IP-violations.

adidas store: brand clothes sold agains unsuspicious prices in an expensive mall in Haerbin, 2 November 2008

Text and pictures by Michiel Tjoe-Awie

DISCLAIMER: The views of Mr Michiel Tjoe-Awie do not necessarily correspond to the views of IP Dragon.