Dong Baoshi speaks during a livestream on Monday. Photo: Screenshot of Dong Baoshi's livestream

Dong Baoshi, singer and songwriter of the hit Chinese song "Wild Wolf Disco," disputed on Monday evening the accusation that he infringed on the copyright of "More Sun" by Finnish producer Vilho Ihaksi, following heated online discussion.

The Chinese single was released in September 2019, and a new version co-performed by Dong and Hong Kong actor-singer William Chan was released in October. The duo also performed the song at the 2020 Spring Festival Gala broadcast on January 24, the eve of the Chinese New Year. The gala drew in 1.23 billion viewers from China and overseas.

While the popular rap song swept China and achieved popularity overseas, there has been some controversy regarding its beat. Dong created the verse and hook of the song, but Ihaksi has claimed that Dong used the beat from "More Sun," which he released in February 2018, without his permission.  

Legal documents had been sent to Dong about his usage of "More Sun," Ihaksi's lawyer Zhao Zhigong, from the Han Yuan Law Firm, posted on his WeChat public account on Monday. Zhao pointed out that they have not heard back from Dong, even though the legal documents were sent out on January 15. The post instantly became a trending topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. Some netizens expressed disbelief and disappointment as they thought the song was original and some showed support to Ihaksi to protect his rights.  

Around 8 pm, Dong denied the infringement during a livestream and further explained in text, which was posted around midnight, noting that he had purchased the non-exclusive license to record vocal synchronization to the beat of "More Sun" in July 2019.  

Comments below the post were divided. Some apologized to Dong for their earlier condemnation, while others said they will wait for more information.