In 2001, the government of Hezhe Nationality Township in a county in Heilongjiang took the famous singer Guo Song to court in a lawsuit, originally because Guo Song had copyright infringement in the musical tune of the famous musical work "Ussuri Boat Song", and demanded that Guo Song stop the infringement and make an apology and corresponding compensation.
So how was the famous musical work "The Song of the Ussuri Boat" created?
This matter has to be traced back to the sixties of the last century.
In 1962, as the literary and art workers at that time, Guo Song, Hu Xiaoshi and Wang Yuncai went to the Hezhe village in the Ussuri River Valley to collect wind, and heard the folk song "Wanting Love Lang" sung by local Hezhe artists with a beautiful tune and a very charming tune, and several artists came to create inspiration and completed the musical work of "Ussuri Boat Song". The main theme of this song is borrowed from the folk song "Thinking of Love", and the introduction and ending are composed. In 1963, after the completion of the work, it was recorded on the Central People's Radio, and the signature at that time was a folk song of the Hezhe ethnic group in Northeast China. In 1964, when "Ussuri Boat Song" was published, it was signed as a folk song of the Hezhe ethnic group, and wang Yuncai and Guo Song arranged the music. In this way, this work of art reflecting the production and life of the Hezhe ethnic group was officially born, and sang the motherland in the north and south of the river, quickly popular among the population, deeply loved by the majority of music lovers, and has been sung as a classic national music work to this day.
How did this musical work, which is loved by the masses, start a dispute and a lawsuit again?
It all started with a concert in the early part of the last century.
At the end of 1999, CCTV and the Nanning Municipal Government of Guangxi Co-hosted the opening ceremony of the 1999 Nanning International Folk Song art festival. After the singer Guo Song finished singing the "Ussuri Boat Song", the host of CCTV said: The "Ussuri Boat Song" sung by Teacher Guo Song just now is obviously a song of creation, but over the years we have always thought that it is a traditional folk song of the Hezhe ethnic group. Since then, in various musical products and publications involved in this music festival, the signature method of "Ussuri Boat Song" has been Guo Song and Wang Yuncai.
This matter reached the hometown of the Ussuri Boat Song, and people stopped doing it. How did the folk songs we sang for thousands of years become music? So they sent someone to find Guo Song theory. However, after half a day of theory, the two sides did not reach a consensus, so the local Hezhe representatives filed a complaint against Guo Song to the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, asking Guo Song to use the "Ussuri Boat Song" in any way, and should indicate "adapted according to the Folk Tune of the Hezhe Ethnic Group".
So, how was this lawsuit involving intellectual property decided?
This lawsuit is a highly professional lawsuit, both sides did not take it lightly, they invited professionals to help, you come and go, the trial has lasted for more than two years, and the Beijing Municipal High Court has finally decided.
How did the courts in Beijing finally decide?
1. When Guo Song and CCTV reuse the musical work "Ussuri Boat Song" in any way, they shall indicate "adapted according to the folk tunes of the Hezhe ethnic group".
2. Within 30 days of the effective date of this judgment, Guo Song and CCTV published in legal daily a statement that the musical work "Ussuri Boat Song" was adapted from the folk tune of the Hezhe ethnic group.
3. Beijing Beichen Shopping Center immediately ceased to sell any publication containing the musical work "Ussuri Boat Song" without indicating the source of the adaptation.
4. Guo Song and CCTV shall pay the plaintiff a reasonable fee of RMB 1,500 as a result of the litigation in this case within 30 days from the effective date of this judgment.
5. Reject the plaintiff's other claims.
The lawsuit, which was unnecessary for both sides, finally had a verdict and came to an end.