Shanghai China Snippets Observations about living in Shanghai and China in general

Shanghai is getting tough on the piracy of maps.

Mapping authorities in the city announced yesterday they will provide cash rewards of up to 100,000 yuan (US$12,346) to those who provide “valuable clues” to help ferret out the producers and vendors of pirated maps.
They also said they will begin selling genuine maps at major downtown locations using automatic vending machines.
“Pirated maps not only disturb legal business, but also mislead buyers,” Lu Weijun, a spokesperson for the Shanghai Institute of Surveying and Mapping, said yesterday.
He said the high rewards will help collect information about who is printing pirated maps and increase public awareness about the importance of intellectual property rights.
It’s not difficult to find pirated maps for sale at long-distance bus stations, ports, scenic spots and book stalls where people, particularly those from outlying places, often visit, officials said.
According to officials at the institute, at least 1 million pirated maps are sold in the city every year, accounting for one-third of all maps sold in Shanghai, which has greatly impacted the map publishing business.

I guess when IP infringements start to hurt locally, it may have a positive effect globally.
What product is next?

The most interesting pages of the local daily are the Shanghai classifieds. Just yesterday I realized that Shanghai is getting hipper by the day.

“Gone with the Wind”, a recently published book (1939) has arrived here and you can get it at the “Imported Bookstore”.

Don’t start running now to the shop, I know you are eager but I am sure there will be a copy available whenever you feel like it.

I intended to write an article about the Baidu IPO bubble. I might conclude that one later. While searching for some sources I remembered a site where you can simultaneously search Google & Yahoo News. Considering that Google news & Yahoo news are not always readily available here due to some Chinese firewall tactics I think this site can serve as a nice alternative.

Search the news with Newsiness

The Chinese goverment is contemplating new regulations to protect it’s culture.

A preface says the rules are intended to help China’s “opening up” to the outside world. …..

The regulations will:

… spell out what parts of China’s government are responsible for overseeing what parts of the media and entertainment industry, and they promise to make it more difficult for foreign companies to bring in books, the Internet and video games, and performing acts ..

Spell out the consequences:

“Import of cultural products contrary to regulations will be punished according to the circumstances, and in serious cases the import license will be revoked,” the rules state. “In the near future there will be no more approvals for setting up cultural import agencies.”

And clarify the aim:

A preface says the rules are intended to help China’s “opening up” to the outside world. But analysts and broadcasters said they were part of an effort to clamp down on foreign influence on culture.

source: NY Times: China Issues New Restrictions Aimed at Protecting Its Culture

I remember that some time ago I chatted with Wang Jian Shuo and told him one my favorite articles was the one about having to register his website. That article dates back to 2002. Two days ago there was a new deadline for the registration of Chinese websites hosted in China. Maybe they get it done this time, maybe I write the same thing in 3 years.