WATCH | Chinese dancing frog goes viral doing this

A frog with anthropomorphic features has joined the ranks of influencers in China, expanding on a trend that originated with street sellers in Chinese cities and has now gained momentum online. This has raised questions about the ownership of intellectual property rights for a dancing amphibian, alongside celebrity live-streamers and social media commentators in China.

Referred to as a "frog seller" or "frog influencer," the meme features an individual in a frog costume with a blue neckerchief selling products related to frogs, such as balloons and toys.

The key to going viral on social media is dancing. A video shared online in November showcased a frog seller doing the worm in a gym. In another scenario, a frog seller performed various dance moves, including the floss, in front of a displeased traffic police officer before riding away on a scooter.

The trend is believed to have originated in September 2022 when a woman in Nanjing, identified by the surname Tong, dressed in a frog costume to sell frog balloons to pedestrians. Once a video of her act was shared online, it swiftly led to numerous imitations.

During Chinese Valentine's Day in August, an elderly man in Beijing donned a frog seller suit to present his partner with a giant teddy bear. The video, when shared online, sparked discussions about "true romance."

Tong faced accusations of pilfering the design for her frog suit from the Calabash Brothers, a beloved 1980s Chinese cartoon series featuring a character named Red Toad, a frog with a distinctive red neckerchief.

“I modified the colour, body shape, pattern and head size, but the overall image of the toad in nature is there. No matter how I modify it, it does look very similar at first glance,” she told to a local news outlet.

Commentators have expressed their opinions on the ownership of the rights to a dancing frog.

Long Wenmao, a professor at East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, stated that Red Toad from Calabash Brothers and Tong's frog seller are evidently distinct.

According to Long, Red Toad exudes an "evil and mischievous air," whereas the frog seller projects a "cute and innocent image," as per the reports.

Wu Yunchu, one of the original creators of the Calabash Brothers cartoon, expressed no intention of pursuing Tong for a copyright violation.