China Copycat Theme

The theme in China in Ten Words That I am most interested in is the copycat theme. Although it is more of a practice, it works as a theme as well. Copycatting is so interesting to me because i find it troubling how a modern country like China seems to embrace this theme so openly. In America, there are laws specifically set up to not allow people to copycat and persecute those who do. From copyright and patent to intellectual property laws our country has put a huge emphasis on the worth of intangible property. Billions of dollars have been handed out to Americans in order to reparate broken copyright laws, while this seems to be part of China's culture. Making up everything and anything, and claiming others ideas as your own, seems like a

world of chaos to me. How can a country operate under this cultural status quo?
If I were to go to China to find out more about this phenomenon I would need to speak (in perfect Chinese of course) with the people who benefit from copycatting and those who could be hurt by it. This could include artists, street vendors, politicians, designers, and actors. These people specifically could have their intellectual property stolen, could be portrayed in the wrong light by the media, or benefit from copycatting. I would ask these people if they are aware that other countries such as America have strict laws prohibiting copycatting. I would continue to ask them about their personal experiences with copycatting. Things like how have you ever had anything of yours copycatted, and how did it affect you. I would then continue to ask them about the morality of the copycatting. Whether they think it is right and if they would like to see any change in the country. I would also try and learn about their specific laws regarding copycatting. I would try to find out if copycatting is actually illegal but is such a common social practice that it is overlooked by the law.