law & justice

law-&-justice

In a First, Beijing Court Grants Copyright to AI-Assisted Artwork

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

The court ruled that AI-generated images demonstrating human originality and intellectual input should be protected by copyright law.

Ye Zhanhang

A Food Courier’s Pursuit of Equal Treatment

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Delivery rider Liang Ningning filed a lawsuit after a Beijing residential community told him to use the “back entrance,” to highlight the everyday discrimination facing food and parcel couriers.

The Paper

Ghost Marriages Under Scrutiny in East China After Teen’s Death

After the teenager’s death, her biological father has alleged that her adoptive parents arranged a ghost marriage for her with a deceased boy and received 66,000 yuan in return.

Zhu Junxi

As Cyberbullying Persists, China Seeks Remedies in Law and Tech

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

For years, China’s content creators tackled online harassment largely on their own, through individual efforts or the rare police complaint. But now, new laws promise a broader shield against cyberbullying.

Xu Cen

Ni Dandan

Actor Sues After Gangster’s Classic TV Lines Used in Video Game

Everyone’s a gangster until a real gangster walks into the room.

He Qitong

China’s Controversial Academic Database Fined $6.8 Million for Illegal Data Collection

A yearlong investigation by China’s internet watchdog has concluded that CNKI illegally collected users’ personal information.

Ding Rui

The Dark Reality of Telecom Fraud in Northern Myanmar

The booming telecom fraud industry in northern Myanmar brings corruption, violence, kidnapping, and forced labor to a region with a long history of crime, The Paper’s investigation finds.

As Live Music Booms in China, Disabled Fans Call for More Inclusion

The return of large-scale pop concerts has sparked huge excitement in China over recent months. But fans with disabilities still face serious barriers to accessing the events — and they’re calling for change.

Photo Agency Demands Compensation From Photographer — For Using Own Photos

VCG has demanded up to 86,500 yuan ($11,856) in compensation after a photographer published his own photos on his WeChat public account.

Jiang Zuer

Gym Roof Collapse Shakes Chinese City, Leaving Thousands in Mourning

Friends of victims, rescuers, and construction industry insiders come together to recount the worst tragedy that the northeastern Chinese city has experienced in years.

Controversy Over China’s Captive Breeding Rumbles On

As a five-year legal case on macaque breeding closes in Henan, concerns remain about China’s new wildlife protection law.

China Dialogue

Kris Wu’s Accuser Asked for Public Support. Now She’s Suing Them. 

The woman is suing dozens of her supporters for using images of her without her consent.

Yang Caini

After Exposé, Chinese Firm Under Lens for Hiding Mining Deaths 

State-owned outlet China Newsweek reported that a mining company in Shanxi concealed the deaths of at least 17 workers over 15 years. The local government has ordered an investigation.

Backlash Forces Two Firms to Reverse Sichuan University Boycott 

Both companies had said they wouldn’t recruit Sichuan University graduates days after a student’s false accusations of sexual harassment sparked widespread debate.

Li Xin

Student’s Accusation of Upskirting Contradicted by Own Video

The woman has been roundly criticized online for accusing the migrant worker of taking upskirt photos without evidence and revealing his identity.

Outrage as Chinese Man is Caught on Tape Butchering Wife’s Dog

While the man has since been arrested, the incident has reignited calls for legislation to prevent cruelty to animals.

US Returns Two Stolen Relics Worth $3.5 Million to China

The two stone carvings are believed to have been ripped from a tomb by looters in the 1990s, before being smuggled to the United States where they ended up at the renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Court Ruling Sparks Debate Over Promoting Work on Social Media 

An intermediate court ruled that an employee had been illegally fired for refusing to promote work-related content on their personal social media account.

Hangzhou Publicizes Names of Metro Sexual Harassers

Hangzhou’s move to name and shame sexual harassers has received overwhelming support online, but some are questioning whether it goes too far.

Giving China’s Death Row Inmates a Second Chance

The Legal Aid Law passed by China’s legislature in August 2021 requires justice departments at the county-level or higher to establish legal aid agencies.