Jia Zhangke issues an apology

Question: What industry copyright issues were exposed by the misuse of Jia Zhangke’s poster for the AI Jia event?

Recently, the official Chinese poster for the film “The Mole” was revealed to be a stolen design by a Brazilian poster artist, sparking controversy.

On March 18, Jia Zhangke posted an apology:

Dear friends, I sincerely apologize. Before the release of the film “The Mole,” my colleagues asked me to confirm the poster for the release.

I have a folder on my computer with materials for the “The Mole” poster, and I selected one from it. I mistakenly thought that all posters in that folder were materials authorized by the international distribution company for Chinese localization, and I forgot that the folder also contained other “The Mole” posters I collected online. After receiving instructions, my colleague believed I had verified the copyright ownership, which led to this mistake. Last night, my colleagues sent an email to the poster designer to apologize and discuss compensation or collaboration. We are currently waiting for a response. I really like this movie and this poster. The mistake was mine, and I apologize for it. I will also urge my colleagues to communicate with the original designer of the poster as soon as possible to resolve the issue.

According to Beijing Film Academy, Jia Zhangke was born on May 24, 1970, in Fenyang City, Lvliang, Shanxi Province. He is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and writer. He is the president of the China Film Directors Association, founder of the Pingyao International Film Festival, a member of the Chinese Writers Association, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and a graduate of the Literature Department of Beijing Film Academy. Jia Zhangke’s films, from “Xiao Wu,” “Platform,” “Still Life,” to “Mountains May Depart,” have won multiple international awards.

Duty editor: Guli Intern: Zhao Yue