A study by Princeton University shows how Chinese artists have copied their way into success and become innovators. It says, the tradition of copying in painting and calligraphy was a method aimed at the formulation of personal style. Except in the case of intended forgeries, exact replicas were not seen as the goal. Instead, artists copied in order to gain techniques and to probe the essential qualities of a past master's style. Individual investigations through copying led to creative imitations, parody, and the use of allusion. Through this learning process the desired outcome was the synthesis of a new personal style expressive of the individual and the copied.


It is my considered opinion that if our artists copied Chinese art with the African blend, the outcome will be a fusion of cultures that brings new aesthetics to life. This too will be innovation and creativity that may help us reduce our trade imbalance with China. In the 1960’s Toyota Mark II was copied from the Volvo by the Japanese. The Western world laughed at the joke of Japan becoming a car manufacturer. They kept perfecting new manufacturing tricks along the learning curve. Today, the Lexus is as good as a Mercedes. Japan’s motor industry outperforms all other vehicle manufacturers. In Kenya we only produced five units of the Nyayo car and we laughed at ourselves. We could not “fake it till we made it”—this is our undoing.

I once shouted myself hoarse on this forum
we will gain more by flouting the current IP regime than following it.

Advancements in 3d printing,material science and engineering and energy generation,distribution and storage are crucial elements of this century.These three areas threaten the very model of production we're trying to emulate.

As much as I do agree with his points,I also think equal effort should be employed in understanding how those technologies will change industries and the economic model at large.