Internet memes should not be privatized as the exclusive property of major tech companies. ByteDance’s recent move is, from a legal perspective, merely a voluntary copyright registration and does not automatically prove that the company is the rightful owner of the original creative work.
Recently, Beijing Zitiao Network Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of ByteDance, filed copyright registrations with the Copyright Protection Center of China for the artistic works of dozens of viral internet memes, including “Gugu Gaga,” “Banana Cat,” “Sword-and-Shield Dog,” and “Elderly Cat.”
The move has sparked widespread backlash across the internet. Many netizens accused the tech giant of engaging in “digital land grabbing”—using legal mechanisms to claim ownership over creative works that were widely shared, remixed, and popularized by online communities—and profiting from creativity that was collectively developed by the public.
2026-07-08 15:07:37
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★CG☆ :
aqyi hay muchos que odian a gugu gaga y es porque le tienen envidia a su vida perfecta y adorable