Shaolin Kung Fu Master appeals to Legislators for Protection

THIS story was just too good to pass up, as it contains two subjects that are near and dear to my heart: the martial arts, and private property rights.

From the article: A top kung fu master from Shaolin Temple has urged China's legislature to enact a law to better protect the world-renowned martial arts centre's trademark rights, state press reported.
"China needs to make a law at an earlier date so that Shaolin kung fu and other intangible heritage are better protected within a legal framework," Xinhua news agency quoted master Shi Yongxin as saying.
The 1,500-year-old temple, known as the cradle of China's martial arts {probably the cradle of ALL martial arts- my addition}, is under siege from competitors taking advantage of its name, said Shi, a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament.
Also- "We have to wake up to the fact that some other nations might have already begun to capitalize on our traditional know-how to sharpen their own competitive edge and make profits amid fierce international competition in a globalised society," he said.

Please understand that private property rights, in my opinion, are the number one basis for a sound, free civilization. Number two would be the profit motive and free-market capitalism. The Shaolin Master is probably justified in asking that the Temple's rights be protected, even though the martial arts are now so wide-spread that it would be difficult not to consider them to be in the public domain. That being said, I find a few things about this article rather strange-

First, I would think that a true Shaolin Master, living according to his code of simplicity and lack of desire, could care less if every martial art school in the world called itself the Shaolin Temple, because he would know that his temple is the real deal and that would be sufficient. Second, and here's the clencher: How can anyone from China, the world hotbed of intellectual piracy, dare to ask that their intellectual property rights be respected? Has China not 'capitalized on the world's traditional know-how to sharpen its own competitive edge and make profits amid fierce international competition in a globalised society?' Sweep your temple floors first, before you complain that my house is messy...