Visual China Group's profit model has changed completely since it released the “black hole” photo that caught the attention of the world on April 10. Visual China Group has long been profiting from its business model of “rights protection-litigation-settlement-signing contract”, and their core technology relies on the Eagle Eye system. The system automatically tracks the use of pictures owned by the company on the Internet, and provides copyright protection services such as authorization management analysis and preservation of online infringement evidence. Quanjing Network Co., Ltd. has the same profit model and the gross profit margin of such rights protection litigations recorded by its legal department is up to 100%. Vision China owns many contract photographers as well as copyrights. Photographers’ great efforts of creating works should be compensated and respected. But where is the limit of rights protection? This issue is not only related to the balance between protecting and encouraging originality and preventing monopoly in China’s future patent system, but also the balance between commercial interests and market morality.
