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Beijing company loses copyright lawsuit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-17 14:52

A Chinese company has been ordered to pay more than one million yuan ($146,000) for copyright infringement.

Wanfang Data included 364 unpublished masters and doctorate theses in its database. Those theses were then sold to public and college libraries for profit, the court of Chaoyang District, Beijing ruled on Thursday. Wanfang Data also charged Internet users money to view and download the work.

Between June and August of this year, 482 people sued the company for copyright infringement. They demanded compensation- and most will get it.

Wanfang Data was ordered to pay between 2,300 yuan and 5,100 yuan in damages to 364 masters and doctors.

The court, which ruled some universities authorized the company to use certain theses, rejected 118 appeals.

Wanfang Data was ordered to remove the plaintiffs' theses from its database and publish an apology on its website.