Editor's Note

Debate over right of discovery regarding valuable resources sparked after farmer Liang Cai of Jiangxi Province’s Xiushui county dug up a 80-ton piece of rare ebony along a river estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of yuan. Citing China’s somewhat vague ownership laws regarding unearthed materials of value, the Xiushui government has seized the ebony and left Liang with only promises of compensation.

Dispute  Details

About  Ebony

	Ebony is a dense black wood, most commonly yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely-textureed and has a very smooth finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood.

Similar  Cases

Time	Place	Case
2012/07	Sichuan Province	A farmer in Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, who thought he had struck it rich after uncovering a perfectly preserved petrified tree has been offered just 70,000 yuan ($11,028) for his troubles by local officials. The government maintains the tree, which was found in a riverbank in front of his home, is the property of the State.
2012/07	Heilongjiang Province	Heilongjiang Province issued a new regulation saying renewable energy companies must be licensed before they set up wind or solar power installations and the energy they produce is State-owned. The regulation stipulates that companies must apply for a license and prove that their project is economically beneficial and they are qualified to carry it out. Companies that fail to comply can be fined up to 100,000 yuan ($15,737).

Web editor: yangruoyu@globaltimes.com.cn