'Copycat' Tencent boss calls for China to strengthen intellectual property laws

Pony Ma Huateng, Tencent’s boss whose early products were widely seen as copycats, has called on China’s legislature to tighten enforcement of the mainland’s intellectual property laws and punish wrongdoers harder.

Some mainland companies trampled on others’ intellectual property rights because they knew they would not face heavy penalties even if they were caught, said the chairman and chief executive of the mainland’s second biggest internet company.

"I can't overstate the importance of rule of law. I have said on different occasions that many of the questions boil down to lax law enforcement,” he told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday night.

“Tencent has won many lawsuits, and … received millions in damages in the highest case, which wasn’t bad, but it doesn’t amount to much of a deterrent, given they might have made hundreds of millions in US dollars elsewhere,” Ma said.

“They know very well it’s against the law, but since the risk isn't huge they would still do it. This is sad,” he said. “That’s why I think punishment isn’t stringent enough, and we hope law enforcement could become more rigorous, and punishment heavier."

“It doesn’t deter violators at all, therefore often you’ll find it’s a case of bad money drives out good."