The Chaoyang District People's Court will hear a case involving 18 writers suing a publisher accused of stealing articles they had posted on the Internet, reports Beijing Youth Daily.

One of the plaintiffs, known as "Blue Republic" on an Internet travel forum, came across a book entitled "China Independent Travel" in March, which carried three articles she had posted on the forum's website in 2001. The articles, recounting her experiences in Dali, Yunnan Province, were not attributed to her and had been abridged.

She demanded that China Friendship Publishing House recall and destroy the books, apologize publicly and pay her compensation of 1,564 yuan (US$188).

Seventeen other writers whose online articles were also included in the book joined the suit demanding various compensation amounts.

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