I understand that the Chinese space program is a stepping stone of pride and development for the country, and I really don’t mean to trounce it. However, is it too much to expect that a space program would at least be above the IP-infringing rife on the ground?
I mean, the space program isn’t exactly “novel” in any sense of the word. Its biggest ambition is to put a man on the moon only 50 years after some other nation did it, before most people even knew what a computer was. So, perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me that the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA. Maybe it sounds as cool as NASA in Chinese?) has, it appears, blatantly ripped off not one, but two Star Trek emblems in the creation of their logo:
Now, obviously the more astute readers here are going to point out that the United Federation of Planets logo is simply a space-themed version of the UN’s emblem, and perhaps CNSA is simply melding the UN’s peaceful unity ethos with a rather pointed “going up” aspect… wrapped in an onion (signifying the many layers to space exploration?). Or maybe it just paid someone 10 yuan for the logo and said “make it look spacey”.
(h/t to fellow CNET blogger Rick)
