You Want To See The Arc de Triomphe? Come To Huaxi Village

If you are Chinese it is not so easy to get a visa to travel to some countries around the world. I suggest that the U.S. and the countries within the European Union might want to revise their policy, since most Chinese understand that they have more chances finding economic opportunities in China then in recession stricken U.S. or Europe.

China's richest village, Huaxi village (华西村), located in Jiangyin city in Jiangsu province, came up with a kind of solution:
You want to see the Arc de Triomphe, come to Huaxi village.
You want to see the White House, come to Huaxi village,
You want to see the Sydney Opera House, come to Huaxi village, see here.

The village copied some wonders of the world, including the Tiananmen gate, and the Great Wall.
Wen Renbao, made the Huaxi village into the richest village of China, by taking the local multi-industry (mostly textiles and steel) company, named Jiangsu West China Group Co., Ltd. (Huaxi Group) to Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Huaxi calls itself a model socialist village. Everybody works seven days per week! The free market combined with the socialist work ethos resulted in a high living standard for each villager. Each family gets a free car, a single family house to European standards worth more than 150,000 euro, free health care and education and cooking oil from the village committee.

When the originals were built no copyright law existed, and the copyright on those works of architecture that were created in the copyright era has expired already. Huaxi village made their investment for the replicas on the assumption that they can lure many Chinese visitors, making their plans to go abroad superfluous. Or since many villagers already went abroad they want to share the world with their fellow Chinese (or as they say in the mini video documentary that since everybody is working seven days per week, there is no time to see the world, so the world must come to Huaxi). Either way, if they are right, the villagers of Huaxi become even more rich.

Hat tip to Cecilia.

Independent Creation Valid Defense Against Copyright Infringement

Jonathan Mak, design student at Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design said that he did not rip-off the idea for the Apple tribute in which you can distinguish the silhouette of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Invisible Gold in Asia Facebook Page (set up by author of the book with the same name Professor David Llewelyn) explains that both parties (or theoretically even more parties) can come up with the same copyrighted work: "Although that will be harder to prove so make sure you keep records."

If you can prove that you created the work independently, you can use it as a valid defense against copyright infringement.

See Jonathan Mak's design here.

The design of UK designer known as Raid71 here.

In this YouTube video the voice-over says that Jonathan Mak "has been offered copyright offers". Well, if Mak is the creator he automatically has the copyright of the work, at the moment of creation. What the voice-over probably means is that he got offers to assign his copyright. 

Steve Jobs on Creativity: Be Bored, Become Curious and Change The World

Steve Jobs, visionary leader of Apple has passed away. His legacy is enormous. Whole new product categories, new way to think about consumer products and processes. There is also a lot one can learn from his words of wisdom. In Steven Levy's excellent effort to condense such an incredible full live into one article he quotes Jobs saying:

"I’m a big believer in boredom. Boredom allows one to indulge in curiosity. Out of curiosity comes everything.” 

We can take this all at heart. Especially in Asia there are lessons to be learned, where the main culture is focused on using up every moment in a "useful" way. Most youth study at home or at cram school until bedtime. Basically there is no free time. Doing nothing and playing are essential ingredients to get the creative process going.  

Chinese Brands Not Cool In UK? ......... Overseas Chinese Show The Way

CoolBrands has orchestrated an expert panel and public vote to select the most cool brands in Britain. No Chinese brands in the top 20, and not even nominated. In the list of nominations one can find Wagamama, founded by Alan Yau (丘德威), the Hong Kong born London-based restaurateur, and Jimmy Choo (周仰杰), the Malaysian born London-based fashion-designer who gave his name to the fashion label, especially known for its shoes. Both entrepreneurs were awarded the order called Officer of the British Empire (OBE). Chinese brands, take a cue from overseas Chinese entrepreneurs and build strong brands.

Hat tip to Matt Fisher of IP Kat.

Should Hong Kong (Also) Get Its Own "Normal" Patent System?

Hong Kong's patent system spinning...
Whirlpool in middle of flag, a suitable symbol 

So far Hong Kong's patent system has been mainly a re-registration system of Chinese patents, United Kingdom patents or European patents. Yesterday, October 4, 2011, the Hong Kong government issued a consultation paper, about whether this should change.

• Should Hong Kong be able to originally grant its own standard (20 years) patents? In that case should re-registration of Chinese, United Kingdom or European patents possible? If so, should other jurisdictions be included?
• Should short-term (8  years) patents be retained as a supplement to standard patents? How can the system be improved.
• The regulation of patent agency services is another subject about which you can give your opinion.

You give the Hong Kong government feedback on or before December 31, 2011. 

Thanks Ron Yu for pointing me to the consultation paper.

Countries That Spend Most On R&D: Where Is China?

The Economist came October 1, 2011, with the 2009 statistics on countries that spent most on Research & Development as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (broken down by investments of businesses, educational institutions or government), and the statistics of the average patents filed per million people between 2007 and 2009. China is not in the top 12, and neither is Singapore. See here.  

Research on Equipment Manufacturing Industry China: IPR Significant Impact on Transition From Imitative To Independent Innovation

The Journal of Technology Management in China (Vol. 6 No. 3, 2011, p 257-266) has an interesting article  A study of the evolutionary path of technological innovation modes in the equipment manufacturing
industry of China written by Yuan Yi-jun and Lv Cui-jie (Department of Economics, Dalian University of Technology). 


Yuan and Lv use evolutionary game theory to research what hinders the transition from imitative innovation to independent innovation in the strategically important equipment manufacturing industry. 

The authors come to the conclusion that the obstacle factors from imitative to independent innovation are internal and external mutation conditions:

• Internal: path dependence and lack of benefit incentives;
• External: lack of fiscal support and lack of intellectual property protection

Yuan and Lv: "The results show that the pursuit of the benefit (innovation return or above-average profits), as an internal mutation condition, is the most fundamental motivation for independent innovation, while policy incentives, as the external mutation conditions, have a significant impact on the evolutionary transition from imitative innovation to independent innovation in equipment manufacturing enterprises."

Netac President Complains About Unequal Treatment Overseas Patents

Netac Technology, the first Chinese company that sued a U.S. company (Texas PNY Technologies)  for patent infringement in 2006, and which settled out of court, expects that it has protected its IPR in all important markets by 2015.

Cheng Xiao-hua, president of Netac Technology alleges that it often takes a Chinese firm much longer to obtain a patent overseas than it does for its foreign counterparts. The next quote of Cheng suggests that this is the fault of the overseas patent office that is examining the Chinese patents.
"Cheng said he is expecting a better climate for Chinese companies in applying for patents overseas, and a more "equal examination period and fairer treatment"."

About which patent office his is talking remains unclear. It would be interesting to see this backed up by some statistics. 

Read China Daily's Zhang Shiyi's article here.

Looking into the Back Mirror: "If I Were For Real"

If I were for real, is a 1981 Taiwanese movie (including Hong Kong teams) that was censored in Hong Kong when it was still a British crown colony, because it was deemed too critical about the privileged life of the happy few of party officials.

Li Hsiao-chang (played by Alan Tam) tries to face the challenges in his life with ingenuity. And he has to, since he made his girl friend pregnant. In fact the movie is a kind of Chinese version of the Being There (1971), Jerzy Kosinski's masterpiece. Interestingly, the melody of "Like a virgin", played by an organ you can hear at end of part I and beginning of part II. Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly composed the song in 1983, which launched Madonna's career. Maybe this music has been put under the video later.

To placate his future father in law he wants to buy a bottle of Mao Tai wine 茅台酒. But he cannot afford the needed twelve "dollar" fifty.

The liquor sales man said sarcastically:
"Just what I thought. That is what Nixon drank. Prime Minister Tanaka too. It's not for you."

Then Li ask what the cooking wine costs. Answer: "One twenty."
 "I can afford that. Now an empty bottle of Mao Tai, a red candle."
The liquor sales man nods and gives a sardonic smile.
Later you see Li putting the cooking wine into the empty Mao Tai bottle.

Here is Part II: In the beginning you can hear the melody of "Like a virgin" and fast forwarding to minute 3 you can watch the liquor scene.