With Apple already facing charges that it stole the name iPad from a Chinese business, it now seems to have angered writers by stealing their books.

A group of 22 Chinese authors have filed a claim against U.S. technology group Apple, claiming that its App Store flogs unlicensed copies of their books. According to the Chinese official media, the Writers Rights Alliance petitioned Apple last year to stop electronic distribution of the writers' books and had earlier persuaded Baidu, China's largest search engine, to stop publishing their material on its Baidu Library product.

Nothing happened so the writers want Apple to write a cheque for $8 million saying it was selling pirated versions of 95 books via its online store. Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said that as an IP holder Apple understood the importance of protecting intellectual property, and when we receive complaints we respond promptly and appropriately.

So it is not clear why the writers need the lawsuit.