China's Weibo takes down Instagram-like app after logo plagiarism controversy

Weibo took the Oasis app offline after a microblogger said the logo was nearly identical to one designed by a Korean movie studio for the Ulju Mountain Film Festival in 2015. — Reuters

BEIJING: Chinese microblogging website Weibo Corp has taken down an Instagram-like app just three days after its launch and apologised following accusations of plagiarism about the app's logo, in a stumble for efforts to find new sources of growth.

Weibo, launched by Sina Corp in 2009, is one of China's most established social networking companies alongside the likes of Tencent Holdings Ltd. But it has been seeking new ways to grow in the face of competition from startups including short video apps Douyin and Kuaishou.