CCTV academic sued over factual error prize claim

CCTV academic sued over factual error prize claim

Source:Global Times Published: 2010-5-19 14:35:52

Yan Chongnian, CCTV lecturer and Qing Dynasty history expert Photo: CFP

By Yang Jie

Yan Chongnian, a Qing Dynasty (1644- 1911) history expert and lecturing scholar for the popular CCTV show "Lecture Room," has been sued for 420,000 yuan ($61,508) for failing to respond to a claim on a prize he offered to readers for finding factual errors in a book he edited.

Bai Ping, an associate professor of ancient Chinese at Shanxi University, told the Global Times that he had purchased Yan's 2009 edition of the Qing-era geography study Kangxi Shuntianfuzhi after reading an article in the Beijing Morning News on September 12, 2009. In the article, Yan offered readers a reward of 1,000 yuan ($146) for every error that could be found in his edition of the book.

"I bought it out of curiosity," Bai said Tuesday, "but I didn't think I would find more than 20 errors just during my first read." But Bai added that he had found 420 errors so far, and that the number was increasing.

Bai said he tried to contact Yan via e-mail but received no response. He then filed his suit against Yan. "It's not just about the reward, but about academic ethos," he said. "Scholars should be meticulous with their research."

Wang Deyi, a Beijing Ocean Law Firm lawyer representing Bai, said that an advertisement offering a reward becomes valid as soon as it's been declared to the public according to existing contract law.

Wang added that the Zhonghua Book Company (publisher of Yan's book) could be held liable. "Books should be recalled if the number of errors in them exceed a certain amount," he said. "This also concerns use of public resources since Yan receives grants from the State."

Yan could not be reached for comment as of Tuesday. The Chaoyag District People's Court is set to hear Bai's case in the near future.