The series' original Chinese title was 盜帥留香 (Dou Seoi Lau Heung; literally "Bandit Chief Liuxiang").
It was released around the same time as Chor Lau-heung, a similar television series produced by TVB.
RTV and TVB became involved in copyright lawsuits against each other because of similarities between It Takes a Thief and Chor Lau-heung.
TVB won the lawsuits and eventually RTV had to change the Chinese title of It Takes a Thief from 盜帥留香 to 俠盜風流, and the names of characters in the television series.
It Takes a Thief started airing on 1 September 1979, two days earlier than TVB's Chor Lau-heung.