by Jack Samuels
My spring trips to China gave me a chance to ponder the current issues regarding copyrights and the attractions industry.
As some of you may be aware, China is the land of copyright infringement. Counterfeit products are blatantly sold to both foreigners and locals, as a visit to the Silk Market in Beijing reveals. The amusement industry is not exempt either.
Chinese culture doesn’t make much of a fuss about copyrights or trademarks. The two-tiered economy there and throughout much of Asia (one designed for the rich and tourists and the other for the majority of locals) seems to perpetuate this idea. The Chinese claim they can’t afford the real thing so readily settle for the fake merchandise.
On visits to several attractions in Dalian, I experienced firsthand how the Chinese attractions industry is exploiting trademarked property in ways they probably wouldn’t get away elsewhere in the world. I found images of Mickey Mouse everywhere, even places he didn’t really have anything to do with (see the ‘fake Mickey’ park map pictured right). At another Dalian park, a knock-off Spider-Man and Power Ranger were out greeting guests. Donations were sought from those wanting to take pictures, although Spider-Man, who spoke in Mandarin, told us that we didn’t have to pay if we didn’t want to. And of course, ‘look-alike rides’ are also commonplace in China too.
In the West, we believe that copyright and trademark infringement illegally takes away revenue from those that own it. The Chinese view it as a restriction of trade. They believe it is unfair, since people who buy counterfeit merchandise or experiences can differentiate from the quality and prestige of the real things and should have that choice. Many of these people would not buy the real thing anyway, it is argued, so it is helping their economy rather than taking money away from it.
I believe we need to do more research in this area. The Chinese may have a valid point. The Grateful Dead rock band allowed all sorts of copyright infringement on their work over the years and it only added to their popularity and sales. That may well be true when it comes to properties such as those owned by Disney, but it cuts less ice when we talk about knocked off rides and attractions, where the original manufacturers are operating in a niche market and turning out units in often nothing more than double figures.
Should the amusement and attractions industry try to regulate infringement activities? One of the parks in Dalian proudly displayed the IAAPA (international Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) logo. Is this an issue that IAAPA should tackle?
Dr Samuels provides diverse consulting services in general marketing and market research, facility development, customer service, safety, crowd and event management and promotional activities programming such as birthday parties. He can be reached at samuelsj@mail.montclair.edu
Dr Samuels provides diverse consulting services in general marketing and market research, facility development, customer service, safety, crowd and event management and promotional activities programming such as birthday parties. He can be reached at samuelsj@mail.montclair.edu
