Would you sell to China?

[Barefoot Fool]

I am posting a poll to see how many people are not afraid that China's gross violations of intellectual property rights might actually impact them were they to sell to China.

China has a huge population but represents a teeny portion of tarot deck purchasers from small, non-China based folk. (Is anyone reading this currently in China?) Nonetheless, I feel that by not selling to China would not be fair, because there are billions of honest folk living amongst the criminals (or is it merely millions and millions?) and who am I to judge?

However, I know that pirating is rampant and that my designs are easily reproducible graphics. I admit I am slightly paranoid and highly influenced by the radio show I just listened to & the paranoid people around me. For me the answer is yes, I sell & ship to China. But I'm paranoid (tho I probably I won't be tomorrow, after I've had adequate sleep.) Thus I ask:

Would you sell & ship to China?

Please feel free to answer in essay in addition to the poll.
My apologies, I am allowing no space for "maybe."
You can pretend you just illustrated the most awesome deck ever.

 

[HudsonGray]

I haven't had an order from China yet, but several came through from Japan, 2 for the Philappines and one from Korea. One of the Japanese bound decks ended up being promptly scanned and posted online. I was ok with that though. Not sure if I'd ship to China. I guess I'd make that decision if/when I get an order from someone there.

 

[tarot heart]

If I authored a deck I would definitely not ship to China for he very reasons you stated. Would love to know what show you listened to...

And, no, you are not the least bit paranoid...

 

[Zephyros]

The US is "known" for waging war on countries with no WMDs. Britain is "known" for killing thousands in India. Canada is known for marginalizing the Inuit while Switzerland is known for collaborating with the Nazis. While I am not blind to the copyright situation in China, judging every citizen in the most populated country in the world verges on something very unpleasant.

 

[Alta]

We do get occasional applications from China but they rarely post. Though I suspect that is a language issue.

I understand what closrepexa is saying, however who is most likely to order a self published deck from China? Not the average tarot reader, more likely the pirate printer.

 

[Debra]

They have a different fortune-telling tradition.

Protect your copyright.

 

[Kosjitov]

I understand what closrepexa is saying, however who is most likely to order a self published deck from China? Not the average tarot reader, more likely the pirate printer.

This is the root of it. I would say no. Sorreh.

 

[Babalon Jones]

They have a different fortune-telling tradition.

Debra, I am very interested in what the different fortune telling tradition in China is for personal reasons, as I have suspected this. My cousin married a woman who really, really wants me to read for him. (I haven't yet as we dont see each other often, but she has been urging to come visit me for this purpose, it just has not been convenient yet) But I get the impression that her idea of reading and mine are two different things, and that I would disappoint her somehow. Though she speaks English there is still a bit of language barrier so I have not been able to get clarity on this or get this across, and I have the feeling she has expectations I can't fulfill.

I don't want to take over the thread though. It would make an interesting topic for a new thread, or if you have any info to share please PM me!

As far as the question goes, I would sell to someone in China. I might have already, but I don't think so or if so it may have been only one. Lots of other "nearby" places though. I think I would just feel weird refusing someone based on their address.

 

[Barefoot Fool]

The US is "known" for waging war on countries with no WMDs. Britain is "known" for killing thousands in India. Canada is known for marginalizing the Inuit while Switzerland is known for collaborating with the Nazis. While I am not blind to the copyright situation in China, judging every citizen in the most populated country in the world verges on something very unpleasant.

Although refusing to sell a deck to China is not on par with human rights violations I totally agree with this, hence the dilemma. Basically, all of our countries are guilty of human rights violations, some more so than others. Although all of our countries also have citizens who make a living off of selling pirated material, the government of China functions in a way as to allow its economy to thrive off it.

I would like to assume everyone who buys a deck from ME just wants to own the deck. But what would make me so special, to attract only honest people? My only concern is pirating; I am mostly helpless when it comes to the other matters aside from refusing to support their policies when and if possible.

I was listening to public radio discussion of politics and the host was talking about how one really important subject for the presidential candidates will be how they are going to "crack down on China," or something to that effect. China is guilty of gross intellectual property rights violations, and with our desire to consume, we (1st-world consumer nations in general) end up supporting them. Of course, each of us would be upset if our OWN material was pirated.

The next question is, if one (say, me for example) should choose not to sell to China, how do I state this on my website?

"I am sorry, but due to gross intellectual property rights violations I have chosen not to ship my deck to China. It is the fault of the government, not the individual citizens of the country. Feel free to contact me if you have any issues with my decision."

I want to protect my work, but it doesn't feel right to state it so blatantly.
I would love to hear more and more and more opinions.

 

[Zephyros]

Strictly speaking, you can't really protect your copyright if a country does not enforce the laws against it. Who hasn't downloaded anything copyrighted, ever? Jailbroken an iphone? Have you really spent forty thousand dollars, the amount it takes to legally fill an iPod? How about listened to a song on Youtube? Lent anyone a CD or a book? And these are merely the smallest examples of things people do in the West, let alone China. Apple has recently copyrighted the rectangle. We're all dire criminals.

If someone really wants to steal something they will, and you can't stop them. I'm not saying you should make it easy for them to do so. I do sympathize, but boycotting a billion and a half people isn't really doing the job, not because I think you're not right, just that it is ineffectual. Incidentally, Russia is just as bad as it is legal to download pirated goods there. For that matter, all poor countries of the world are havens for copyright infringement. I know not all countries have a record of actually manufacturing copyright violations, but that damage is the same damage. Not to mention that Chinese manufacturers aren't stupid, and buying a deck in Europe, scanning it in high-resolution and sending it back home is very easy and is probably done often.