Taiwan novelist wins plagiarism case against mainland scriptwriter - Xinhua

Taiwan novelist wins plagiarism case against mainland scriptwriter

BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Popular Taiwan romance novelist Chiung Yao has won her plagiarism case against mainland scriptwriter Yu Zheng, a Beijing court announced on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the No. 3 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, Yu Zheng and four companies involved in the plagiarism case were ordered to pay five million yuan (807,200 U.S. dollars) to the plaintiff, while Yu should issue a public apology. The four companies were ordered to stop the distribution and broadcasting of the plagiarized TV series.

Yu Zheng's studio has released a statement on microblog site Sina Weibo on the heels of the verdict, saying that Yu would appeal.

Earlier this month, the court held hearings about the plagiarism case. According to the court, Chiung Yao claimed that the plot of TV series "The Palace: The Lost Daughter" has been almost completely copied without permission from her novel "Mei Hua Lao" (Plum Blossom Scar).

"The Palace: The Lost Daughter" aired on Hunan Satellite TV on the mainland, while Mei Hua Lao was adapted into a TV series screened in 1993. Chiung Yao also demanded compensation of 20 million yuan (3.2 million U.S. dollars).

In her complaint, Chiung Yao said the defendants had gained huge profits from plagiarizing her works. Meanwhile, she has been writing a new script based on the story of Mei Hua Lao, but the plagiarism has become an obstacle for the shooting of her new TV series and caused her emotional damage.

According to her indictment, Chiung Yao asked Yu and relative television companies to stop broadcasting "The Palace: The Lost Daughter" on both TV and the Internet, or releasing any copies of the TV series. She asked Yu to make a public apology. The defendant has also been asked to cover all the plaintiff's legal fees.

The high-profile showdown has drawn wide discussion and massive media attention from the mainland and Taiwan. Yu denies the plagiarism, saying he is a fan of Chiung with no intention of angering her.

Days after the hearings, more than 100 Chinese screenwriters voiced support for Chiung by signing a joint declaration with a list of their names and posting it on Weibo, saying they condemn all forms of plagiarism and look forward to justice in the case.

Chiung, a household name in China, has produced a number of popular romance novels and TV series.

琼瑶诉于正侵权案一审宣判：侵权成立道歉并判赔500万元

新华网北京１２月２５日（记者涂铭　熊琳）２５日，台湾作家琼瑶起诉大陆编剧于正等著作权侵权案在北京市第三中级人民法院一审公开宣判。法院认定《宫锁连城》侵犯了《梅花烙》的改编权和摄制权，判令被告方停止侵权，于正向琼瑶道歉，被告方赔偿原告５００万元。

２０１４年４月８日，于正（本名余征）编剧的古装电视剧《宫锁连城》登陆湖南卫视金鹰独播剧场。该剧一经播出，在网络与电视平台上取得了较好的收视率。

４月２８日，琼瑶委托律师向北京市第三中级人民法院提起诉讼。其代理人表示，２０１２年至２０１３年间，于正（本名余征）未经原告许可，擅自采用《梅花烙》的核心独创情节，改编创作电视剧本，并联同湖南经视文化传播有限公司、东阳欢娱影视文化有限公司、万达影视传媒有限公司、东阳星瑞影视文化传媒有限公司等四家公司摄制电视连续剧《宫锁连城》并播出，严重侵犯了原告著作权。原告请求法院判令被告立即停止侵权、消除侵权影响、向原告赔礼道歉并赔偿原告经济损失２０００万元。

１２月５日，琼瑶诉于正涉嫌抄袭案在北京市第三中级人民法院庭审。庭审中，琼瑶、于正二人并未到场，均由代理人出庭，双方进行了多次举证、质证和辩论。

法院认定，剧本《宫锁连城》在人物设置和人物关系上以小说《梅花烙》、剧本《梅花烙》为基础进行的改编和再创作，前者与后者在整体上的情节排布和推演过程基本一致，可以认定剧本《宫锁连城》作品涉案情节和小说及剧本《梅花烙》的整体情节具有创作来源关系，从而构成了对后者的改编，侵害了原告的改编权。

法院最终根据涉案作品的性质、类型、影响力、被告侵权使用的情况、侵权作品播出使用的范围以及被告方获利的情况等综合考虑，判令于正及四家公司连带赔偿琼瑶５００万元。

对于一审判决结果，琼瑶代理律师王军表示，已经通过微信将判决内容转告琼瑶女士，能够感受到琼瑶情绪十分激动。被告方于正代理律师则表示，他们将上诉。

琼瑶诉于正涉嫌抄袭一案也引发了编剧业界的广泛关注。１２月１１日，新浪微博用户编剧帮公开发表了《就琼瑶女士起诉于正一案内地编剧的联署声明》，共有１０９名编剧参与署名。声明指出，谴责一切抄袭、剽窃、非法改编别人作品的行为，呼吁保护原创，停止侵权，维护编剧职业尊严。

据介绍，对于编剧界内的知识产权保护存在一定难度，首先是否进行了抄袭很难明确界定。“这个案子的判决对于业界具有标杆和警示意义。”中央戏剧学院电影电视系副主任高雄杰出表示。

(Note: The above is the same story reported in English and Chinese respectively, and is not literal translation.)