“To steal a book is an elegant offense”
Chinese proverb.
William P. Alford, professor of law and director of East Asian Legal Studies Program, Harvard Univerity, used it in the title of his book on IP in China: “To steal a book is an elegant offense: Intellectual Property Law in Chinese Civilization.” Read a book review by Guy Yonay about it here.
Andrew Ellson wrote that Xingguo Fu, the director of WTO affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, quoted the proverb because the dissemination of knowledge is for the good. Read more here.
