Have you seen the recent copyright controversy over “Li Bai”? My students keep asking me whether covers can be sung freely, and I honestly don’t know how to answer.

I’ve been following it too. The law has long made it clear that using others’ works requires authorization. But many people think “just use it first,” which really puts the cart before the horse.

Exactly. It’s as if saying “so what” can push away responsibility. But if everyone does that, wouldn’t original creators feel discouraged?

That’s right. As the saying goes, it takes ten years to sharpen a sword. Creation is never easy. If results aren’t protected, who would still be willing to focus on writing songs or poems?

But in reality, the cost of infringement is low, while defending rights is difficult. Some organizers even shift responsibility among themselves, like playing Tai Chi.

That’s exactly the problem. If rules are treated as optional, the whole industry will change in a bad way. Over time, people will just chase quick money, and culture will become superficial.

Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel this is not just a legal issue, but also an attitude problem—a matter of respect for creation.

Yes. Protecting copyright is actually protecting future works. Otherwise, one day we might not even find good examples for our classes—that would truly be like trying to cook without rice.