Emboldened by their U.S. counterparts, China's film and TV writers are petitioning the powers-that-be for greater recognition.

Just don't use the word "strike." That kind of activity is strictly outlawed in Communist China.

Some 80 scribes, including Wang Xingdong, prexy of the Chinese Film Literature Assn., and Cheng Qingsong, a renowned playwright and film critic, gathered in Beijing last week to discuss how they could better protect themselves from intellectual property rights infringement.

Echoing a complaint of their Hollywood brethren, Wang told local media such a meeting was necessary because the role of the writer is increasingly being undermined. Scribes' ideas are routinely ripped off by unscrupulous producers, and even those who do get credits are often poorly paid.

"The Hollywood strike ended with an increase in writers' pay. The message I learned from it is "no effort, no gain," Wang says.

But China's scribes are more focused on maintaining their authorial rights than boosting their revenues. They sent a letter to SARFT, China's broadcasting watchdog, asking for better monitoring of their rights.

And, recognizing the value of a little bling to spotlight their efforts, they also petitioned Chinese kudofest the Full Blossom Awards to add a screenplay nod.