Taiwan actor Jimmy Lin fined RM225,000 for copying photo
BEIJING: Taiwanese Jimmy Lin, best known as a TV reality star, has been fined 345,000 yuan (about RM225,000) for plagiarising a 1992 photograph.
In August 2013, while updating his social media account, Lin had used a retouched image, replacing the face of one of the subjects in the photo with his own.
The original image of a platoon of soldiers was taken by Chinese photographer Zhu Qingfu in 1992.
Zhu accused Lin of distorting the artistic elements of his work and infringing on his rights, and sued.
In his defence, Lin said he had immediately unlinked the photo after receiving Zhu’s complaint, and had even posted an apology.
However, the Beijing Haidian District Court ruled that Lin’s action constituted infringement of copyright.