Imitations should be banned

A park in Beijing recently unveiled a giant yellow toad after interest in the giant rubber duck seemed to have waned. Unfortunately, the giant toad is far from being a creative work of art, which reflects the lack of original ideas in China, says an article in Qianjiang Evening News. Excerpts:

The idea for the giant yellow toad, unveiled in a Beijing park recently to attract more visitors, comes from Dutch designer Florentijn Hofman's giant yellow rubber duck, which has created a mass following across the world.

Hofman's giant duck has toured the better of the world, boosting the local retail and tourism industries of the countries it has visited. The giant toad, which organizers claim symbolizes good fortune and luck in China, is also expected to work like Hofman's giant rubber duck.

Creative products often rock the world when they first hit the market perhaps because they represent a fresh idea. Since copies and imitations that start flooding the markets don't have that freshness or charm, they can only invite public ridicule and scorn. And that is what the giant yellow toad is expected to do.

The toad, like many other products in China, is just a poor attempt to replicate the success of an original work. Smartphones using the designs of Apple iPhones but selling at much lower prices are another example. What people who make these imitations don't realize is that they are violating intellectual property rights and killing the potential of true innovation in the country in their quest to make quick money. It is, therefore, necessary for the government to take strict measures to stop such people from ruining China's image in the international community.

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