Coral QQ wasn't an original creation; it was an add-on plug-in technology that displayed IP addresses on QQ. It was initially developed by a guy named Zhou, but he quickly received a lawyer's letter for infringing on Tencent's interests and had to withdraw.
Later, another guy named Chen carried on the work and expanded it. However, he also received a lawyer's letter and didn't dare to continue further. Instead, he became a mentor at the Computer Center of Yanjing University of Technology.
After staying low for a few years, this guy made a comeback because of the booming internet traffic, and the millions of users of Coral QQ could effortlessly make him money.
This time, the dispute escalated to the point of a lawsuit, with Chen losing the case and being sentenced to three years in prison.
Shenzhen TV even aired a program called "The Moth to Flame Coral" discussing Coral QQ's internet legacy.
