The following links include the original text of Ma Weidu and the original text of the story. I hope it will be helpful to you:) Happy New Year!
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A story signed by Chen Zhihong in the second half of November 2009 issue of "Story Club"
To put it simply: it is The Spring Festival Gala was interested in adapting a story signed by Chen Zhihong in the second half of November 2009 issue of "Story Club" into a sketch. However, the original author of the story, Mr. Ma Weidu, found out and asked the Spring Festival Gala for a license fee of 150,000 yuan for the use of the work. Haha...
Reprinted from Ma Weidu's blog: Article 524? "Two cents a kick"
About a month ago, a friend kept asking me: " "Did you write a sketch for the Spring Festival Gala?" I answered with "How is that possible?" A few days later, a newspaper published an article saying that the Spring Festival Gala language group had used one of my essays to turn it into a sketch, and the effect was quite good. Although I was wondering about the Spring Festival Gala, No one contacted me, but they laughed it off; but what happened next made me unable to laugh anymore.
After the news was published in the newspaper, someone first introduced himself (the crew of the Spring Festival Gala) and asked me without giving his name whether I had written such an article, and then sent me another piece of information to see if it was true. Same. This is a plagiarized article signed by "Chen Zhihong" published in the second half of November 2009 in Shanghai's "Story Club". I think I will draw my own conclusions after reading the two articles. My short article was first published on Sina Blog on August 14, 2008. In February 2009, People's Literature Publishing House compiled and published "Ma Weidu's Story: Part 1 on the Car" on page 36, titled "Act Within Your Ability". After repeated interrogations over the phone, I reported the truth, and the crew member on the other end of the phone always said something that was not pleasant to the ears. I am older and she is younger, so I don’t care about her. But what she said later was more stinging. She told me: "We (Spring Festival Gala Language Group) originally adapted it based on Chen Zhihong's article in "Story Club", but I didn't expect that you also wrote an article." I heard this true. I'm also confused, why did I "write an article" before him? It seems a bit inappropriate.
Later, the crew member called again and told her: "Mr. Chen is willing to share his signature with your ***." I had no choice but to tell her that I didn't know this Mr. Chen, and I would not hold him responsible for plagiarism. degree, but it is impossible for me to "*** have the same signature". I took a step back and said, "Let him sign the adaptation. I don't care." Unexpectedly, the lady from the crew solemnly told me: "You misunderstood, we have someone else to adapt."
Later, the production lady called me and sent me a "Confirmation Letter" via email to confirm my consent to the adaptation, and then sent it back to the Spring Festival Gala crew by courier. Before I knew my rights very clearly, I was mainly afraid that I would be covered up with "*** and the same signature", so I didn't send it in time. The production lady called me urgently, and she didn't know what politeness meant. From this incident I answered dozens of calls from her, sometimes even in the middle of the night, but I always listened patiently to her reasoning. I told her that the "Confirmation Letter" is a unilateral voucher. If it is sent after signing, I will not have any voucher on hand. This matter should be signed into a contract, with each party holding a copy. She first told me that hundreds of copies of the Spring Festival Gala were signed in this way, and there were no other legal texts. I said I wouldn't sign it, but she had no choice but to ask and then tell me.
A few days later, she called me again and told me that I could sign the contract but not the "Confirmation Letter" and would immediately send me a contract template. After I received the contract, I asked her about the blank spaces one by one. She told me not to fill in the blanks, just sign and send it. This is very strange. No contract in the world is signed like this. The important part is left empty for Party B (that is, us) to sign. So what is the meaning of this contract? ! I asked her a question that is difficult for a literary person to ask. What is the amount of "work license fee" in the blank box? She told me 1,000 to 2,000 yuan, which is the same for everyone, and will be given after the show is broadcast.
What happened next was a bit bizarre. I told her that I didn’t want to sign such a contract, mainly because... Miss Spring Festival Gala was a little anxious and angry, and her tone was not very friendly: "Let me tell you, there is no guarantee whether you will be on this show, you can sign it or not." ." After that, he hung up the phone. I was stunned for a long time before I finally realized it. I guess all the authors wanted to bring glory to the Spring Festival Gala and accumulate experience for themselves. If they couldn't attend the Spring Festival Gala, they would be in vain. All the authors had something to ask for, and there was a reason why the crew members were so arrogant.
But this trick doesn’t work for me. I don’t care at all if this show doesn’t make it to the Spring Festival Gala.
Later on, lobbyists kept calling me. Even my childhood friend, whom I couldn’t remember, called me to ask for help. After I confessed truthfully, they also felt that I still needed to ring the bell to untie it. I asked the crew member to come to me and apologize. Ordinarily, if I answered her call again, I would forgive her inappropriate behavior. She made an appointment with me and came to see me at the Guanfu Museum. On the way, she called me and instructed me to print out 5 copies of the contract and she would pick it up in person. I felt that I finally didn’t have to pay for express delivery. She was late, and I still explained to her that the road was not easy to walk.
When we finally sat face to face in the conference room, the crew member apologized to me. She said: "I don't know your identity. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't be like this." I told her: I am It doesn’t matter who it is, what’s important is that you should respect every author, no matter who he is. I later went in and out to print documents, but she sat motionless in the room with her legs crossed. I still explained it to her that she might have lacked social etiquette education in school. But when I told her that I disagreed with certain terms of the contract and asked her to go back and discuss it if she couldn't make the decision, she suddenly became unhappy and told me that her job would be lost. This made me feel guilty and put me in a dilemma. I had to tell her that the contract is a legal document signed voluntarily by both parties. Once it takes effect, it cannot be reneged on, so be cautious...
What happened next was very embarrassing, she started crying, and I was crying while she During the break, I told her: No contract will be signed because of crying. She didn't listen and still went her own way. The following details and words are limited by space, and it is not good for her, so I don’t want to talk about it. Anyway, I didn’t sign the contract.
These days, people from the Spring Festival Gala crew who I don’t know, directly, indirectly, or in a roundabout way have all called me, saying that it’s a very important matter and time is tight, so I’d better sign it, otherwise everyone will be in trouble. The general director of the Spring Festival Gala, Jin Yue, also called me to apologize, but I couldn’t explain the reason why I haven’t signed the contract yet.
I think, at this time, I should advocate for rights, so that respecting the rights of authors is no longer an empty talk; let this incident serve as an example of similar things in society; let respect for the intangible assets of authors become a habit. My original idea was that for the sake of the people across the country, I could let them adapt it without paying a penny. But after this experience, I decided that I would ask for 150,000 yuan in licensing fees for the work in the contract. If the crew pays me this money, I will donate all of it.
As of the time of posting this article, I have not yet agreed to the Spring Festival Gala Language Group’s adaptation of my essay “Act Within Your Ability” (i.e. the sketch “Two Cents a Kick”), although they have spent a lot of manpower and material resources It has been rehearsed and passed, but has not yet been approved by the original author. This is not a tragedy for me personally and the crew, but a tragedy for our national habits.