EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL.
What's got the Angry Birds all worked up? Maybe it's China's copycats - in the markets, on the Internet, even a fake amusement park in Changsha.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGHTY EAGLE, CMO, ROVIO, PETER VESTERBACKA, SAYING:
"I really think that it's a great indicator of the love for Angry Birds that we see here in China. And that's also when we decided to really go for it."
Peter Vesterbacka calls himself the Mighty Eagle of Rovio, the company behind the Angry Birds video game.
His war strategy in China - pirating the pirates.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS TV CORRESPONDENT JANE LANHEE LEE, SAYING
"In addition to taking good ideas from the fake product makers, Rovio says it's also recruiting some of its official partners from the enormous pool of copycats in China, even offering them free ad space on the Angry Birds app."
China is the second largest Angry Birds market behind the U.S. with 140 million downloads.
And the nation is on a trajectory to become Rovio's biggest licensee market.
Next month, the company is launching its first stores across the mainland, with plans to open hundreds over the next few years.
And near Shanghai, an Angry Birds activity park coming soon, modeled on the tourist attraction in Finland.
And remember the Chinese look-alike? The gaming company is even looking into turning it into the real deal.
But will Angry Birds be able to knock out their copycat competition?
More established companies still struggle. From knock-off Disney products, to fake Apple and Ikea stores.
Paul Chen is fighting the war on the ground for Rovio.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL MANAGER CHINA, ROVIO, PAUL CHEN, SAYING:
"We're very concerned about our IP in China and we actually have a lot of government support behind us. We actually have a really close relationship with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Education. And through Angry Birds, we are bringing Chinese culture to the world."
That's because the whacky birds are moonlighting as the nation's cultural ambassadors with games like Angry Birds Moon Festival and Year of the Dragon.
But it remains to be seen if the birds will be as effective chasing copy cats, as they are, at taking on green pigs.
Jane Lanhee Lee, Reuters.
