With the spreadsheet application in Google Docs blocked for the past week here in China, it’s clear China is using Google’s apparent infringement of Chinese writer’s copyrights as an excuse to whittle the competition down a bit further. So, one of history’s greatest IPR violators of foreign designs, processes and technologies finally gets hold of the other end of the stick with which the West has been beating it.

The spreadsheet block comes on the heels of the powers that be blocking YouTube for domestic consumption, and also blocking links to identity-sensitive online content. Google has also been beat for links to “yellow” (read: porn) content, while its domestic rivals have merely had raps on their (blistered) hands for the same titillating links. Of course, Chinese online services likeTom365.com and Youku.com continue to allow any user to stream content directly to their computer for real-time viewing; that includes some of the latest American TV shows and Hollywood films, replete with Chinese subtitles.

It seems sanctioned copyright infringement is actually ok – just as long as its the Chinese doing infringing.