August 2005
Counterfeit "Harry Potter and the Half-Correct Text" hits Chinese Shelves
It appears that the first Chinese counterfeit copies of J K Rowling's sixth book in the Harry Potter series "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has this week hit the shelves in Beijing some three months ahead of the October launch of the official mandarin translation. Linguists have pointed out that the book has been only roughly translated missing out vital parts of the storyline and in some parts accidentally giving the opposite meaning to words than their original form. For example in one chapter a character is described as being "immortal" instead of "mortal", a vital difference!
BRIFFA Comment:
It is unlikely that this book will be a long term problem to JK Rowling and her publishers since the author is famously litigious and does not tolerate any erosion or infringement of her intellectual property rights. What is highlighted by this case, however, is the fact that accepting counterfeit alternatives to the genuine product whether it be books, dvd's music cd's, cosmetics or clothing means that you are virtually guaranteed to be getting substandard goods. From the annoying dvd's that freeze and skip (usually at a crucial moment in the plot!) to the downright dangerous counterfeit foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, counterfeits usually mean that the only winner is the counterfeiter.