Poster of Black Jay, Jay Chou imitator Photo: Screenshot from website

 
Recently, Black Jay and Congee Cake Jay, imitators of the famous Chinese singer Jay Chou, have caused heated discussion on the Internet. Black Jay has been conducting commercial performances in various bars nationwide, with one event charging as much as 6,000 yuan ($800) per ticket, while Congee Cake Jay has followed Jay Chou's concerts and sold pancakes in various places.

Since June, Black Jay has been promoting himself as the "Number One Jay Chou in China," performing Jay Chou's classic songs with astonishing attendance rates in multiple cities. But some fans of Jay Chou have called for a boycott of such performances.

"Black Jay comprehensively imitates Jay Chou in appearance, voice, and mannerisms, and promotes himself to Jay Chou's fans for a nationwide tour. This behavior undoubtedly encroaches upon Jay Chou's personal image and brand," Deng Bowen, a lawyer from the Green Forest Legal Platform, told the Global Times.

Jay Chou himself has shown tolerance towards these imitators, stating that each local "alternate universe Jay" is striving in their own lives, contributing positive energy and humor.

"If the imitators conduct explicit imitation shows without deceiving others by posing as Jay Chou or damaging Jay Chou's image, it is difficult to establish a violation of portrait rights. However, unauthorized commercial performances of Jay Chou's songs constitute copyright infringement, and this is an undeniable point," Deng added.

In recent years, the phenomenon of imitating stars for commercial performances has become more common. A large number of amateurs now use this tactic to grab traffic on the Internet and become rich overnight. 

Lu Ha, an imitator of Lu Han, once disclosed earnings of 35 million yuan in seven months. Lu and other imitators also formed "ESO" to imitate EXO, a Korean male pop singing group, but it disbanded in August 2022 due to suspected copyright infringement.

Fans feel their love for their idols should not be exploited or violated. This also serves as a reminder that while pursuing commercial interests, people should respect intellectual property rights and the spirit of originality. Imitation can be an art form, but in the pursuit of imitation, legality and moral boundaries should be recognized. Only in this way can the entertainment industry develop in a healthy and more orderly manner.