AfterDawn: News

Hollywood wins copyright suit in China

Hollywood movie studios have won a lawsuit in China over the unlawful posting of copyrighted movie clips on the Internet, according to the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

The MPA said in a statement that a unit of Sohu.com Inc., the company behind some of China's most popular Web portals, was defeated in a copyright infringement lawsuit after it posted digital files of motion pictures such as the Lord of the Rings, Dawn of the Dead and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for downloading.



The MPA - international counterpart of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) - believe that major global movie studios lost about $2.3 billion to Internet piracy in 2005.

Sohu.com has been ordered to pay damages & costs totalling 1.1 million yuan ($139,000) by The Beijing First Intermediate People's Court, the group added. When contacted by telephone, a spokesman for Sohu.com denied knowledge of the suit, however official newspapers in Beijing also confirmed the court judgement.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: Ben Reid @ 29 Dec 2006 9:42

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• 23 comments

• 21Q

  messed up

  29.12.2006 10:25 #1

• tabletpc

  not surprising
  
  considering that almost all videos in china are pirated and dvds included this is great because if you cannot offord the dvd's dont buy the player
  
  

  29.12.2006 10:44 #2

• borhan9

  Quote:this is great because if you cannot offord the dvd's dont buy the playerI like your logic there mate :)
  
  But i have a question for you all to ponder. If most movies are made in America as we all know. Why don't they go after the exporter. To me it looks like they have a mole on the inside.

  29.12.2006 11:39 #3

• OneMember

  Quote:this is great because if you cannot offord the dvd's dont buy the player
  yeah.. I have no dvd-player but I have many dvd-movies.
  
  (all i need is my pc and cable to tv)
  

  
  
  Säännöt: http://keskustelu.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2717
  Rules: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487

  29.12.2006 13:51 #4

• tocool4u

  Quote:If most movies are made in America as we all know.Actually Bollywood( i think thats the name) in India makes most of the movies in the world. Most of them we never heard of or real big but just a fact i learned. :-)

  29.12.2006 17:46 #5

• borhan9

  Quote:Actually Bollywood( i think thats the name) in India makes most of the movies in the world. Most of them we never heard of or real big but just a fact i learned. :-)LOL!!! I should have known that. As i went to India this time last year :) lol
  
  I should clarify my comment by saying western flicks :)

  29.12.2006 19:02 #6

• tocool4u

  Id thought you would know that :-)
  

  
  
  [bold]sig created by The_Fiend

  29.12.2006 19:08 #7

• georgeluv

  this means nothing, the chinese government LOVES piracy it means they get all the fruits of our labor but none of the cost its one of the reasons they are smoking us in economic growth. when someone makes demands of china, be it our government or hollywood, china just laughs.

  29.12.2006 19:08 #8

• joeman68

  Quote:
  this means nothing, the chinese government LOVES piracy it means they get all the fruits of our labor but none of the cost its one of the reasons they are smoking us in economic growth. when someone makes demands of china, be it our government or hollywood, china just laughs.
  
  HAHA, that's hilarious!
  The USA NEEDS China... Without China, the USA can't buy their cheap products, (which the USA STILL cannot afford anyway) not to mention the fact that the US borrows just under $2 Billion each and every day from China in order to make interest payments! Hahahah.. Imagine the USA borrowing money to prop up their failing economy from a "Communist country"....
  Either way, I suppose it's good that the Chinese are showing 'some' interest in Hollywood's movies. After all, when was the last time a good movie was actually release? It's no wonder movies are pirated, most of them are beyond 'pathetic'.

  30.12.2006 07:49 #9

• cappyx

  in my opinion,
  Thank you. most movies from cr*pywood are just that.. cr*p. these actors are overpaid nitwits that can't act thier way out of paper bags the only thing that can sustain a movie any more and make it watchable is the hope or actual content of some hot chick getting naked.
  
  personaly i like my cheap electronics from china amongst other things.
  
  as far as cr*pywood goes and thier misserably pathetic movies why not just release the dvd and cds in brown paper shrink wrapped sleeves for 7.99 or just let me download a movie that is able to be copied three times to my own media for 4.99 and piracy ceases to exist. what would the point be of pirating at this costs? are you too dumb to see this or just enjoy doing things bassakwards?
  
  if the nfl would just go all year long i wouldn't need any movies or premium channels. i don't watch any movies during football season.
  
  bottom line: seriously i am starting to feel that sitting in front of my tv for even 90min has become a waiste of time when these movies end. i'd rather watch something else like a tv series. it has gotten so bad with these movies i actually watch them only if they are under 100 minutes so it gets over with quickly.

  30.12.2006 08:08 #10

• joeman68

  Originally posted by cappyx:in my opinion,
  Thank you. most movies from cr*pywood are just that.. cr*p. these actors are overpaid nitwits that can't act thier way out of paper bags the only thing that can sustain a movie any more and make it watchable is the hope or actual content of some hot chick getting naked.
  
  personaly i like my cheap electronics from china amongst other things.
  
  as far as cr*pywood goes and thier misserably pathetic movies why not just release the dvd and cds in brown paper shrink wrapped sleeves for 7.99 or just let me download a movie that is able to be copied three times to my own media for 4.99 and piracy ceases to exist. what would the point be of pirating at this costs? are you too dumb to see this or just enjoy doing things bassakwards?
  
  if the nfl would just go all year long i wouldn't need any movies or premium channels. i don't watch any movies during football season.
  
  bottom line: seriously i am starting to feel that sitting in front of my tv for even 90min has become a waiste of time when these movies end. i'd rather watch something else like a tv series. it has gotten so bad with these movies i actually watch them only if they are under 100 minutes so it gets over with quickly.Hahahah, No Sh!t...
  I rent a movie and just hope it's worth (at the very least..) the blank DVD-R I've burned it to...(I like to watch them on my own time)
  I can't get over how Fu--ing stupid some of these movies are..! It's unfreaking believable that they actually make it to FILM, never mind a DVD..
  Like you said,
  Bring the price down to 6 or 7 bucks and rentals @ the same price for 2 movies, 4 for $10 bucks, etc... That will entice and suck the public into buying and Renting WAAAY more movies than current volumes. Also, the buying public won't feel near as bad having spent $6 bucks vs $18.00 for an incredibly poor movie. Here's a few good examples of some really SH!T Movies; "See no Evil", "You, Me and Dupree" "Shadow Boxer"...Uggggh, (my stomach rolls).
  Now on the other hand, if you REALLY want to waste yer friggin' cash, go out and by a music CD, say,....the "Paris Hilton" CD ! Now that's enough to make you Fu--ing "GAK" in your morning Flakes !
  Bah !!

  30.12.2006 09:39 #11

• craftyzan

  A blank DVD disk is mostly good for data. There are some web series that are good enough to burn to DVD, and they are really good. But most Hollywood crap isn't worth the price of a blank DVD disk LOL.

  30.12.2006 12:04 #12

• cappyx

  AMEN!

  30.12.2006 13:32 #13

• ZippyDSM

  how the HELL can they lose money on clips??? its a fcking clip.....

  30.12.2006 13:57 #14

• craftyzan

  Any F'n excuse....

  30.12.2006 14:45 #15

• cappyx

  and at 40 dollars per hd or br dvd they can get lost. the machines aren't even worth the asking cost do to the format war. can you say BETAMAX?

  30.12.2006 14:47 #16

• joeman68

  Originally posted by ZIppyDSM:how the HELL can they lose money on clips??? its a fcking clip.....No kidding....
  
  These MPAA / RIAA tools convinced congress (computer illiterates BTW), and made it so that Judges put people in jail far longer for sharing files, than some Pedophiles get for destoying a kid's life!!
  
  Nothing these Fu-ks do surprises me anymore....

  30.12.2006 14:49 #17

• ZippyDSM

  joeman68
  The media mafia dose like fair use or free advertising and thus so to shall free thought and word be controlled.
  

  
  
  FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
  Sony has declared war on importers the consumer will be next with CD's,Videos/Games not far behind that....boycott SONY!
  http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8062.cfm

  30.12.2006 14:51 #18

• wetsparks

  Even though I agree with you guys on movies, it is harsh to say that all movies are horrible on not worth to even rip off. Some movies this year that were good were, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Mans Chest, Cars, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Casino Royale, The Santa Claus 3, and V for Vendetta. These were good movies, but six movies in one year is absolutely pathetic.

  30.12.2006 16:58 #19

• duckNrun

  there were more than the six you just mentioned: While most of what follows would be rubbish at theater prices for a rental they're not bad:
  
  Ultra-Violet
  Little Miss Sunshine was a good indie flick
  The Benchwarmers was good for some laughs.. not oscar material but laughs are good too!
  You me and Dupree wasn't spectacular but on a dvd rental is was ok.
  Inside Man
  Click was a decent DVD
  Talladega nights did well at the theater I sometimes tend bar at as well as Invincible.
  
  The Prestige was decent as well.
  One night with the King I heard was really well done if one is into Bible based stories as well as the one about the birth of Christ.
  
  
  And the list could continue on I am sure.
  
  Again though I would place my disclaimer about these being worth $20 per seat with popcorn and soda... but for a netflix rental they are worth a look.
  

  30.12.2006 20:25 #20

• JaguarGod

  There are very few if any movies that are worth the full theater or DVD price. So far, the only things I find that are worth more than $2 are anime and maybe a couple of movies per year... There are so many movies now that you regret buying after watching once.
  
  Now, studios are mass producing movies and trying to sell big names and special effects. Before movies had to rely on good acting and well written scripts to be successful. People have gotten used to the lower quality and would not like a good movie.

  30.12.2006 21:14 #21

• cappyx

  I use netflix. at 20/month with tax i get an average of 12 rentals per month which breaks down to 1.66/movie rental. this is what cr*pywood movies are worth any more if this if i could find a rental source at 50cents a movie it would be closer to what a cr*pywood movie is worth. if i like the movie flix sells them later for 5.99 i just wish they would have a bargain bin of movies no jewel cases just send it in a brown sleeve for 1.99 would be great! I just watched the lady in the water and waisted 109 minutes of my life as well as the covenant which cost me 90 minutes of my life waisted.
  >as far as cds i ceased buying them years ago when they passed 13/cd i now have sirius sat radio and love it. i get all the new music and howard and when i am tired of the new music i simply delete it from my s50. this has been one of the best things i have ever invested in the other would be the new 622 hddvr from dish my football is in hd and i love it! ok getting back to the cd issue if i want to buy a cd i go to HalfDotCom and i can usually piuck up what i want from 75cents to 5 dollars sometimes new and sealed for 2-3 dollars! you can also find similar prices on those worthless dvds.
  >in closing what really irritates me the most about a really cr*py cr*pywood movie is when it is really bad and there was no hot naked chick in it worse would be like the lady in the water which was a d!ck tease as she kept appearing that she would get naked but never did.

  31.12.2006 05:27 #22

• ZippyDSM

  JaguarGod
  true more and more the Media mafiaa are creating things for the mass of teens to watch no matter how shallow or bad they will watch it at least twice and when they hit 17 they get to watch the crappy R movies twice till they burn out on bad stuff in their late 20's or 30's.
  
  The transformer and ghost rider movie looks iffy at best if tis done with skill I can see it but...skilled people are not liked in this mafiaa.
  
  cappyx
  crappywood *L*
  
  netflix is good it beets spending 20 on a moive.
  and then you can buy it if you like it.

  31.12.2006 09:47 #23