back to article Apple loses again in Chinese App Store copyright case

Apple has lost another copyright case in China after it was held responsible for content third parties uploaded to the bookish corner of its App Store. The company was ordered to pay three Chinese writers more than 730,000 yuan (£76,600) in compensation after allowing their content to be uploaded and sold on the App Store …

COMMENTS

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  1. Rukario
    WTF?

    元730000?

    Excuse me while I reach behind the sofa to get some loose change.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 元730000?

      Apple is all about image, and spends millions promoting it. Loss of image translates directly into a loss of sales. Any significant damage to its image is therefore a cost to Apple measured in millions.

  2. Bob Vistakin
    Facepalm

    You're copying it wrong

    Think different.

    Again.

    Will they have to issue an apology in the press, then hilariously issue another for apologising wrong the first time? Hey, haven't we been here before?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: You're copying it wrong

      Clearly you must be doing something wrong if you're gettin done for copyright infringement in a country that will sell you a louis vuitton suitcase, Rolex watch and iphone for less than a pair of jeans.

  3. Barry Dingle

    What good is a walled garden

    if people can chuck anything up and over? Lost in transaction.

  4. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    The biter bit

    Got to appreciate the irony:

    1) Apple accuses the Chinese of copyright violations

    2) The fees imposed by the monopoly App store are supposed to include quality assurance.

  5. Tim Roberts 1

    It's getting to be very apparent that ...

    If you are big, powerful and a US company that you can no longer have your own way all the time. Suck it up Apple, China is bigger, stronger and more powerful than you, and they will have their way.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: It's getting to be very apparent that ...

      That only works so long as China get the balance right. If they decide to kick the big US corporates too much, or the Japanese for a particular example, then their economy might become a lot less shiny suddenly.

      The reason big companies have power isn't because they're evil, greedy or politicians are stupid or corrupt. Though all of those things may or may not be true... The reason is that they have something that governments want. They create value, jobs and shinies that people want.

      Russia has a powerful and rich government. But its economy is still massively biased towards mining and petrochemicals because the government have fleeced (or allowed to be fleeced) a few too many Western (and local) corporations - who now are wary of investing into their economy. It's an example China need to be wary of. There's nothing wrong with beating up on companies for breaking the law, as long as it's broadly done to foreign and domestic firms alike, and isn't too arbitrary.

      1. a squirrel with a nut
        Meh

        Re: It's getting to be very apparent that ...

        Insightful !sparticus.

        It is actions like these that cause China to lose respect in the world community. The world is flat? Its ironic that Globalism has been very good to china, yet when the information and legal systems in China are so biased, its apparent that the world is not so flat... that the business playing field in China is decidedly warped, and how can you respect that.

  6. g e
    Coat

    So much for the much-vaunted app store checks then.

    Doesn't take a 'Genius' to see that's not what it's cracked up to be.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: So much for the much-vaunted app store checks then.

      So are you saying doing some checks is worse than doing no checks at all? Forget copyright - what about Malware etc.

  7. MrXavia
    Thumb Up

    The right decision, sure this is just peanuts to Apple, but the precedent, that is key!

    Apple is now liable in China for copyright violations by people selling books on its store, a good thing IMHO, then maybe they will spend a bit of their massive cut on vetting books to ensure the author/publisher actually published them!

  8. Whitter
    Thumb Up

    Follow the money

    If Apple was just a non-profit making intermediary, I'd think the ruling unfair.

    But as it stands Apple takes 30%, so time to do something for the money.

  9. Serge 2
    Trollface

    What a twist...

    Chinese recognise a copyright system? A nation of counterfeiters? Hypocrisy and double standards all around for everyone.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What a twist...

      Whereas you are from a small inbreed of racists I presume?

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Karma

    Couldn't happen to a more deserving control-freak :D

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Karma

      Google next...? Or do you somehow believe they are immune?

  11. JaitcH
    WTF?

    Copyright violations ...

    it's in Apple's DNA and started with their name and their logo.

    Don't believe me? Then go check out the half-page adverts taken out by three 'Apples' and often printed alongside each other in Byte Magazine.

  12. Neoc

    You can't have it both way...

    If the Apple Store was a free-for-all (as in, anyone could put anything up for sale/download), then Apple could mount a decent defence.

    However, Apple repeatedly pushes their terms and conditions onto developers - including the fact that they supposedly check the apps for breaches of said terms and conditions. As such, Apple is now responsible for the legality of the items being sold on its Apps Store, having supposedly "checked" and "approved" them before they were allowed to be displayed.

    1. Neoc

      Re: You can't have it both way...

      BTW: I assume this also extends to Google Play to some extent. I haven't checked the T&Cs.

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