The oil painting, The Drunken Beauty, renowned as one of the most famous paintings in China, is well received at home and abroad. All kinds of derivative products based on The Drunken Beauty painting have gained favor in the art market, but the painting has also been subject to copyright infringement and piracy in China.

The embroidery of The Drunken Beauty is very much favored in China and around the world because it demonstrates the charm of traditional Chinese crafts and has a high collectable value.

However, piracy of The Drunken Beauty is rampant in the artwork market. This can be found even in some well-known Chinese tourist destinations.

Shanghai Chinese Quintessence Art Company, which has the exclusive intellectual property rights to the oil painting, launched a campaign against copyright infringement and piracy in 2008, and filed lawsuits against four manufacturers and department stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou.

Some initial success has been achieved as the four manufacturers have been fined. But the punishment is not severe enough to deter others intent on copyright infringement and piracy.

Therefore, these infringements continue. Fortunately, it is expected that the integrity of The Drunken Beauty will be preserved in the future as intellectual property rights in China improve.

(China Daily 07/30/2010 page38)