Human-Headed Kite Is Charged With Plagiarism in Taipei
Benjamin Roberts
DATE:  Jul 13 2018
/ SOURCE:  Yicai

(Yicai Global) July 13 -- A Taiwan-based curating company flew a thrilling 'human-headed kite' in the sky over Taipei as a promotion for an upcoming exhibition commemorating the works of famed Japanese horror mangaka (cartoonist) Junji Ito. This promotional activity drew wide attention on major social media in Southeast Asia, but a young Chinese artist Lu Yang claimed this sensational kite infringes her work. 

Ito is honored as a contemporary horror manga master, and the face of the 'head kite' floating in the sky above Taipei is that of the leading character of his masterwork Tomie. The promotion thus achieved a considerable advertising effect, with the 10,000 early bird tickets to the experiential exhibition in his honor soon selling out.

Chinese artist Lu Yang alleged on June 10 on her Weibo account that the human head kite used to promote the Junji-Ito-themed exhibition in Taiwan plagiarizes her work. She presented evidence supporting her claim to media -- including her original kite -- as well as screenshots of the negotiations between her and the Taipei-based curator on licensing.

The Taiwanese curator approached her at the start of the year and expressed appreciation of her work and said he wished to borrow it after modifying the content but maintaining the form, she told Yicai Global in an interview. The curator made no reply when Lu asked if there would be commercial cooperation.

The curator of the exhibition is Taiwanese firm Inception Cultural & Creative, her materials show.

Lu was incensed by the commercial institution's disregard of her copyright, explaining that had this Taiwanese curator made issues clear from the very start, including the cooperation model, the amount of licensing fees, and the publicity for the collaborative work, and had the curator displayed a respectful attitude, she would have been glad to forge cooperative ties. Yicai Global received no reply from the curator even after publishing a corresponding article.

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Keywords:   Art,Copyright Infringement