A poverty-stricken county in Jiangsu has come under attack for building a copycat version of the China pavilion at the expo, the Xiaoxiang Morning Post reported. An internet posting recently claimed that Funing county was building a replica of the China pavilion at a newly built square set to be completed this month. The county government said the replica was built in response to demands from residents and cost less than one million yuan (HK$1.136 million). It was a sculpture and did not infringe the intellectual property rights of the Shanghai original, the report said. Zhuang Pinghui

Pirated DVDs are nowhere to be seen after city-wide blitz

Stores that used to sell pirated DVDs have disappeared from Shanghai's streets following a blitz on pirated products, but some traders are carrying on by moving their stores to back lanes or upstairs, the Shanghai Daily reports. Pirated DVD stores have switched their line of business in the run-up to the expo but point customers to the second floor or back rooms when approached about DVDs. One shop owner said the crackdown was a result of the World Expo. Some DVD stores have been forced to close, with business flowing to those in areas where the crackdown has not been so strict. Shanghai police said the market for pirated DVDs had shrunk as a result. Zhuang Pinghui

Nearby hotels beef up security

Shanghai has stepped up security by installing security scanners in all hotels close to the Shanghai Expo Park, the New Express reports. Hotels close to the park had installed scanners at their doors by Thursday. All five-star hotels in the city were expected to follow suit this weekend, the report said. Zhuang Pinghui