Scuba instructor and Billboard correspondent Steven Schwankert wrote a story about Taiwanese pop-star A-Mei (aka Zhang Huimei and Chang Hui-mei) which was published in the Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou editions of That’s Magazines. This is the title and first paragraph of the story:
“CHINESE POP’S BIG SISTER GETS READY TO ROCK…
by Steven Schwankert
She’s sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by activity. Backstage at the Beijing Workers’ Stadium, one of Asia’s biggest music stars looks a bit like a red-velvet clad Dorothy, caught up in a tornado of yodelling back-up singers, dancers practising their routines, and some guy in the corner slurping instant noodles.”
Shortly thereafter, the state-owned newspaper China Daily published a story about A-Mei. This is the title and first paragraph:
“CHINESE POP’S BIG SISTER GETS READY TO ROCK…
She’s sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by activity. Backstage at the Beijing Workers’ Stadium, one of Asia’s biggest music stars looks a bit like a red-velvet clad Dorothy, caught up in a tornado of yodelling back-up singers, dancers practising their routines, and some guy in the corner slurping instant noodles.”
Steven comments: “This is China Daily ripping off my That’s Magazines interview with Chang Hui-mei 99.8%. The 0.2% that’s missing is my byline and the check they owe me for running it.”
You can find the story published in That’s Magazines here, and you can find the China Daily act of piracy here.