Taiwan novelist wins plagiarism case against mainland scriptwriter

Popular Taiwan romance novelist Chiung Yao has won her plagiarism case against mainland scriptwriter Yu Zheng, a Beijing court announced on Thursday.

Screenwriters support Taiwan novelist in plagiarism case

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 US 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 US 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.