According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, Apple (AAPL -0.69%) has been fined for infringing on the electronic copyrights of eight Chinese writers and two companies. Following the ruling of the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate Court, Apple has been ordered to pay a fine of 1.03 million yuan, equal to approximately $167,908.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs said unlicensed, electronic versions of their books were found online last year and became popular downloads. According to the Beijing court, Apple violated a portion of the Chinese copyright law, infringing on the plaintiff's "right of communication through information networks."
The ruling also stated that Apple failed to carry out its duties relating to safeguarding its online applications.
