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BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese networking site Kaixin001.com won a copyright case against a major competitor, which copied its name and content.
Oak Pacific Interactive Corp (OPI) infringed the name of Kaixin001.com for illicit competition, said a verdict released by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court on Tuesday.
OPI should not use the name of "Kaixin" or a similar name in its online networking service, and should pay Kaixin001.com 400,000 yuan (60,000 U.S. dollars) in damages, it added.
OPI created networking site Kaixin.com after a failed attempt to purchase Kaixin001.com in 2008. It also provided similar content and service.
"The case's result is guidance for the burgeoning online networking service industry toward more lawful and orderly development," Judge Zhou Xiaobing said.
"The result is not just a win for Kaixin001.com, it will significantly affect China's social networking industry," said Li Yude, lawyer for Kaixin001.com.
OPI could still operate the website under the domain of kaixin.com with different name and content, Zhou said.
Kaixin.com could be accessed normally Tuesday night. The site's name on the front page remained "Kaixin." Kaixin means happy in Chinese.
OPI owns leading social networking and forum websites in China, including Renren.com, a key rival of Kaixin001.com.
Renren.com has more than 100 million registered users. About 24 million users log on to the website everyday, according to Beijing-based OPI.
Kaixin001.com had 90 million registered users and was expected to have more than 100 million users by the end of 2010, said Cheng Binghao, a former engineer of China's top portal website Sina.com and founder of Beijing-based Kaixinren InfoTech Co., Ltd., owner of Kaixin001.com, on Oct. 21.
Renren.com ranked 112th among world websites and 18th among Chinese websites in terms of average hits in the past three months, according to Alexa Internet, which specializes in web traffic.
Kaixin001.com ranked 124th in the world and 20th in China on the Alexa ranks.
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