Left is a poster of the Autobots and right is a poster of the Cars. (Photo/Ming Pao)
(ECNS) -- Animated movie "The Autobots" directed by Zhuo Jianrong recently has been accused of plagiarism and Zhuo called those who accused him "traitors in a new era."
Critics said that "The Autobots" has an uncanny resemblance to "Cars", an American animation produced by Disney and Pixar in 2006. Apart from the translated Chinese titles, character designs and even posters look alike, with both movies featuring a red car as its hero.
It is also unclear whether Zhuo is legally liable for using the term "Autobots", which was made famous by toymakers Hasbro in their "Transformers" range.
Zhuo called all critiques "traitors [of China] in a new era" after he was widely accused of plagiarism, not only by Chinese consumers but also Japanese commentators. He also responded aggressively to Chinese animation director Lu Hengyu accusing him of plagiarism.
Unlike Cars, The Autobots has human characters, said Zhuo in self-defense. His movie was independently produced by an animation company in Xiamen, which is unrelated to Disney, Pixar or Hasbro, he added.
Zhuo insisted he is innocent and regarding the accusations of plagiarism said: "People have the freedom to say whatever they want. I will just be myself regardless."
