Yu Zheng

On March 12, 2015, Yangzhou Intermediate People's Court accepted a plagiarism lawsuit filed by author Zhou Haohui (Chinese: 周浩晖 ) against Yu Zheng and others, for allegedly plagiarizing from his novel The Evil Hypnotist (Chinese: 《邪恶催眠师》 ) for their 2014 TV series Cosmetology High.

Discussing this incident in 2014, Lee said, "Yu Zheng is very smart, he knows how to make himself known."

On April 2, 2014, a newspaper quoted actress Shirley Dai as claiming that the Yu Zheng TV drama she participated in, Palace 3: The Lost Daughter, was actually based on Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao's 1992 novel Plum Blossom Scar (Chinese: 《梅花烙》 ). Yu Zheng then unleashed a rant on his Sina Weibo microblog calling "a certain actress" an attention whore.

On December 25, 2014, the court ruled in Chiung Yao's favor, ordering 4 companies to stop distributing and broadcasting The Palace: The Lost Daughter, also demanding Yu Zheng to publicly apologize, and pay Chiung Yao ¥5 million (around $800,000). China Radio International called it a "landmark ruling".

Yu's 2011 hit drama, Palace was allegedly a plagiarism of several well-known television series/novels, including Tong Hua's Bu Bu Jing Xin as well as the Taiwanese hit series Meteor Garden. On June 3, 2014, writer Tong Hua accused Yu of not only consistently "consulting" her work but also telling the public that others were plagiarizing him. Tong Hua threatened legal actions if Yu continued his false claims.

On March 18, 2013, Yu Zheng was physically beaten by a man, later identified as actor Shen Tai (Chinese: 沈泰 ), in a coffee shop. Shen served 3 days in detention but refused to apologize. Yu claimed he was beaten because he refused Shen's demands of a role in his drama. Shen called it a lie, and wrote the following on his Sina Weibo microblog: "Everybody has a bottom line. I can just say that knowing such a person can only be described as disgusting. If he does stupid things again I will slap him just the same."

On October 30, 2012, Yu Zheng wrote on his Sina Weibo microblog alleging that a "certain director" fired an actress because she refused his sexual advances. On November 6, television director and producer Xi Xin (Chinese: 习辛 ) made a public statement accusing Yu Zheng of defamation. Since Yu refused to apologize, Xi filed a lawsuit claim. A year later in November 2013, Beijing First Intermediate People's Court ruled in Xi's favor.

In 2010, actress Ruby Lin who starred in the Yu Zheng production Beauty's Rival in Palace, refused to star in Yu Zheng's next project Beauty World, choosing to become a producer herself instead. Subsequently, many fellow actors from Beauty's Rival in Palace chose to join Lin's debut project The Glamorous Imperial Concubine over Beauty World. On December 12, Yu posted a message on his Sina Weibo account insinuating "someone" as "shanzhaiing" his production. Lin responded by writing "so-called friend has lost even the most basic respect... really disappointed." Yu then denied he was referring to Lin, saying that he wished to collaborate with Lin again, adding "Why would Ruby be agitated?" Later, after Lin kept her silence, he continued his veiled attacks, writing on Sina Weibo: "What are the benefits for an actress to become a producer?... Correct answer is, for a chance to make out with all the young, hot guys!"

On May 6, writer Li Yaling (Chinese: 李亚玲 ), who co-wrote 2 Yu Zheng dramas Pretty Maid (2010) and Spell of the Fragrance (2010), offered to be a witness to support Chiung Yao's lawsuit. She claimed that back in 2008 Yu had asked her to "borrow" Plum Blossom Scar's story for a new script, but she refused. Li Yaling further claimed that Yu had copied scenes from the Singaporean drama The Little Nyonya (2009) for Pretty Maid, an action that also damaged her reputation because she was listed as the writer. She also claimed that Yu Zheng once told her that as long as plagiarism does not exceed 20% then the courts would have no case. Another writer Zou Yue (Chinese: 邹越 ) also claimed to have heard the "20% rule" from Yu Zheng.

Yu's 2006 drama Concubines of the Qing Emperor (Chinese: 《大清后宫》 ) had been suspected of plagiarizing the Hong Kong drama War and Beauty (2004). Yu denied it, but stated that his drama "contained the successful parts of classic dramas like War and Beauty, Dae Jang Geum, and Winter Sonata".

In December 2004, many news media reported that Yu Zheng—then a total unknown—was threatening to sue director Raymond Lee and the production company for the drama Assassinator Jing Ke, because his name did not appear in the credits under either "story by" or "writer(s)". Lee did not respond, but writer Wang Qiuyu (Chinese: 王秋雨 ) published a long blog entry demanding Yu's apology, adding "Finally some sincere advices to Yu Zheng, a creator is not a businessman. Spend more time creating, less energy on gaining exposures." At the end Yu never followed up on his legal threats.

In August 1998, Yu signed with TVB. One year later, he signed with Li Huimin Studio (Chinese: 李惠民工作室 ). In July 2003, Yu transferred to Taiwan Star International Entertainment Company (Chinese: 台湾星之国际娱乐公司 ), he also founded his company, Yu Zheng Studio (Chinese: 于正工作室 ). In June 2009, Yu founded the Quansheng Time Film and Television Company (Chinese: 全盛时代影视公司 ).

Yu Zheng (Chinese: 于正 ; pinyin: Yú Zhèng ; born 28 February 1978) is a Chinese screenwriter and producer who is noted for Palace, which earned him a Best Screenwriter award at the 16th Asian Television Awards.