However when I learned of the Boxer Rebellion, I felt a strong sense of sadness and helplessness and honestly hoped for China to win something back, anything back. It is as though your father had passed to you heirlooms, and Eight people beat you up, stole it and sold it someone. China cannot do anything really to get those treasures back, so perhaps the only way is to slowly pick at situations that involve those treasures. And it is not just a few heads that were stolen. The Forbidden City had priceless vases, furs, jewelry, porcelain, silks that were ancient china treasures that were stolen, not just heads made for the Qing Dynasty.

What my point is, is that you cannot truly know the pain that one can feel for something unless you’re a part of it, which is why I can’t feel what African Americans feel about slavery. The only thing that makes me glad is that China is becoming more powerful and countries know this, and America is in serious debt to China.

Victor Hugo described in his “Expédition de Chine” “‘Two robbers breaking into a museum, devastating, looting and burning, leaving laughing hand-in-hand with their bags full of treasures; one of the robbers is called France and the other Britain.” In his letter Hugo hoped that one day France would feel guilty and return what it had plundered from China.

The fact is these two robbers did not feel guilty and always accuse Chinese for not forgiving them.

Please don’t make noise, right now China’s first priority is to feed hundreds of millions who are struggling for the next meal, of course you can express whatever you want, but please don’t distract China’s effeort to feed the poor.

I am not advocating for DVD privacy in China, but if you have bought bootleg DVD copies in china in the past, then I don’t think you have a say in this on either a legal or moral ground.

A lot of Chinese are just too damn sensitive about their country. This applies to Americans as well. Sometimes feel like I can’t bring up anything with either one of them without being labeled “anti-American” or “anti-Chinese” or whatever else…

About the DVDs

Problem with piracy in China is that it holds back local Chinese development of all types of content, so in the long run its probably in their own best interest to clamp down on piracy. As for hollywood, video games makers, other software companies ect, they may profit from having IP laws enforced but in the long run they will face competition from Chinese companies that could etch away their global influence. Korea and Taiwan followed the same development pattern. They used to rip off everything, got richer, clamped down on IP, and now produce their own stuff.

I personally enjoy the cheap DVD’s and software here, so I hope they don’t start clamping down anytime soon. Fuck paying for music, movies, and games right?!

Unfortunately, as you are aware living in Toronto, a lot of Canadians don’t know the real China. This is probably true in other countries as well. It’s normal for us to discuss things with an open mind. Keep in mind that nobody is bashing China right now, they’re bashing the comment you wrote comparing artifacts to DVDs. Historical artifacts are much more precious than any DVD. You made a weak argument and you insist on going on with it, so in turn you meet opposition, which is normal.

That being said, i think that it’s completely OK for Chinese officials to turn a blind eye to DVD pirating, as the majority of 老百姓 can’t afford to pay 25$ for a DVD, let alone send their children to Toronto. Either Hollywood needs to offer DVDs in China at a heavily discounted price, or wait until the average citizen can afford to buy them.

So you don’t see the connection in the article, Re: IP?

I expected those China bashers would jump on it to rant on the abuse of Copyrights.