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Chinese Youth Files Lawsuit Against Canon Company
A man from Chongqing municipality in southwest China has filed a lawsuit against Canon (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd., saying the Hong Kong-based company implied in a promotional CD that Hong Kong and Taiwan are separate states of China.
Tang Weijiang, 29, borrowed the CD, a free gift for all Canon laser printer buyers, from a friend to learn more about the products of the company. Contained on the disc is a segment titled "100 Changes of Zhao Wei," which describes various countries the popular young Chinese actress has visited, naming China, Hong Kong and Taiwan individually.
Zhao was named best female lead at the 17th China Gold-Eagle Awards last year for her performance in the TV series "Princess Huanzhu." She became the spokeswoman for Canon laser printers last year.
Tang said that Hong Kong and Taiwan are inalienable parts of China, a fact which has been recognized by the international community. The action of the Canon (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd. showed contempt for China's sovereignty and seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, Tang said.
An angry Tang appealed to the Chongqing Municipal Supreme People's Court, urging the Canon company to stop producing the CD, which infringes upon the rights of consumers, and to recall and destroy all similarly offensive discs.
Tang also asked Canon to apologize to the Chinese people and pay 100 million yuan for psychological distress. Tang urged that the illegal gains of the company be confiscated.
Tang said that the 100 million yuan will be used to fund 500 Hope Project schools in China. These charity schools help young dropouts in poor regions return to the classroom.
Attorney Lu Lei said that when consumers buy products they form a relationship with manufacturers based on trust, and in return the manufacturers have a responsibility to provide good-quality and safe products and services to consumers.
Lu said the Canon CDs are a threat to all people who buy CDs. The company has committed contract violations and infringed upon the rights of consumers.
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