Chinese Government Says iPad Needs More Pirated Movies, Music and Apps
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Although the Chinese don’t mind manufacturing the iPad they seem to have an issue with paying for apps, music and movies. The Christian Science Monitor, a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, recently found an article on the official Chinese Government newspaper where the author derided the iPad for the lack of pirated content.
The People’s Daily, the official voice of the Communist Party of China, ran the story where the author wrote “there are many disadvantages” with the iPad. “For example you cannot install pirate software on them, you cannot download [free] music, and you need to pay for movies you watch on them.”
It’s not often you see a popular product criticized by a national news organization, let alone a government controlled media outlet, for being too legal. The news article by The People’s Daily shows just how much of an uphill battle western companies have in changing consumer perception in China. Most Chinese consumers still see nothing wrong with using pirated music, movies and apps, much to the chagrin of western companies.
The People’s Daily must not hate the iPad too much, they have their own iPad app available for download from the Apple App Store. The price? You guessed it, the app is free.
The Chinese government has struggled over the past several years to convince other countries that they respect the intellectual property of others and that they are doing their best to crackdown on pirates. Piracy has become a major concern for western companies hoping to sell their products in the hot Chinese market. Judging from this article, it looks like their concern is warranted.
The entertainment, software and consumer electronics industries have been some of the hardest hit by piracy and knock-offs with losses in China reported in the billions.
