China to block American films from their cinemas

The Chinese government, in apparent retaliation for America's decision to file a case against China at the WTO over video piracy, has banned US movies from being shown in Chinese cinemas.

Currently, China restricts the amount of American releases allowed in the country to 20 per year but that number is now 0.

Carlos Gutierrez, the US Commerce Secretary, added: �My understanding is that there is a suspension, which has happened in the past, and there�s certain times of the year where they will suspend foreign movies.�

The blackout seems likely to remain until at least February but most likely May. The ban is the first of its type in China since the mid 90's.

American studios only recently became aware of the ban when their applications to distribute new films began being rejected. A few of the movies rejected were "Enchanted", "Stardust", "Beowulf", and "The Pursuit of Happyness".

Although they are banned, you can be sure that the movies will find their way to street corners all around the country, if they are not already available.

Source:
Times Online

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Dec 2007 18:45

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42 comments

nonoitall

I don't know about the rest of you, but this makes me very happy. :-)

18.12.2007 01:48 #1

windsong

Pirated film hawkers on the streets of China are in for a booming business year...

18.12.2007 02:22 #2

cousinkix

And cowardly George W Bush won't have the guts to ban imported Chinese toys (full of lead) which make children SICK. Nothing will happen, even if the media outlets beat him over the head with an example of blatant incompetence. I'm gonna forward this article to Lou Dobbs on CNN; so millions of people will get pissed off at the king, who listens only to his corporate friends...

18.12.2007 04:06 #3

leady

China has specific limit of how many foreign movies can be shown each year.....I dont think the amount will be decreased to 0. It is impossible.

IT jerk

18.12.2007 04:27 #4

emugamer

Originally posted by leady: China has specific limit of how many foreign movies can be shown each year.....I dont think the amount will be decreased to 0. It is impossible.It is possible. Because according to the article, that is how it is now. Awesome news. A Country that can push back. The MPAA can't reach their tentacles that far. Those 4 movies alone would have brought in big $ in Chinese theaters. Of course, now DVD prices will go up in the US.

18.12.2007 06:16 #5

jove

Originally posted by windsong: Pirated film hawkers on the streets of China are in for a booming business year...hehehehehe damn right.

18.12.2007 07:16 #6

Sir-Age

Originally posted by cousinkix: And cowardly George W Bush won't have the guts to ban imported Chinese toys (full of lead) which make children SICK.That may be true an extent but do you really think people will dish out $ and $ more for USA made toys when they can get Chinese toys for a fraction? People prefer convenience and price to safety in practice. Go around your home and see how many items are not made in China.

18.12.2007 11:40 #7

jetyi83

Originally posted by cousinkix: And cowardly George W Bush won't have the guts to ban imported Chinese toys (full of lead) which make children SICK. Nothing will happen, even if the media outlets beat him over the head with an example of blatant incompetence. I'm gonna forward this article to Lou Dobbs on CNN; so millions of people will get pissed off at the king, who listens only to his corporate friends...not only is it convenience but its just the free market. people dont have to buy things made in china, but since they choose to, companies will keep having them made there.

there are plenty of companies which make toys in the usa, and if people would rather pay the big money to have slightly better quality than they would, and companies would star manufacturing in the us. Putting tariffs on imports from china, and putting constraints on the amount of imports coming in from china would be representative of socialism. If thats what you truly want, then move to china.

18.12.2007 12:46 #8

jetyi83

but yeah, i actually like this move.. im sure the chinese would prefer to have more movies and unedited internet, but, if they are going to ban someone.. american studios are a great choice. The chinese market has so much business potential. This will be a huge blow to the studios.

18.12.2007 12:52 #9

freedom2

who here cares? that's not news

18.12.2007 12:55 #10

DVDBack23

Originally posted by freedom2: who here cares? that's not newsPlease keep your ignorant comments to yourself, thanks.

18.12.2007 13:05 #11

windsong

18.12.2007 13:22 #12

SProdigy

Quote:Go around your home and see how many items are not made in China.Let's see... Honduras, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Taiwan, Korea... hmm... even Canada? Nope, no "Made in America".

18.12.2007 13:24 #13

kragshot

See the definition of irony....

18.12.2007 13:34 #14

Allegro1

Sure, that food on your table is made in America. Oops, no that's imported from everywhere else too so that we can use "made in America" ethanol in our cars. At least the polluting greenhouse gasses we have surrounding us are made in America.

Seriously, if this hurts the motion picture makers, how many of us really are saddened? If it means the Chi-coms pirate more movies and watch them at home instead of at the theaters, does that make most of you sad? I doubt it.

If you don't like the stuff made in China, look at the labels and vote with your wallet while you still have time. The time is coming when there may be no choices except to buy most of your stuff from the PRC. Just check the labels at a Toys R Us or Wal Mart.

18.12.2007 13:44 #15

MPatto

American movie studio's will back down (eventually), A mate told me something similar like this happened in Austrailia with Sony over the chipping of the PS2, Sony told the Goverment of Oz that if they didn't stop allowing the PS2 to be chipped they wouldn't ship anymore, so the Gov of Oz said well dont bother shipping anymore Sony products at all, Sony soon backed down.

18.12.2007 14:01 #16

redux79

Quote:China has specific limit of how many foreign movies can be shown each year.....I dont think the amount will be decreased to 0. It is impossible.When it was first discovered that Chinese imports to the US contained toxins and there were also major recalls the Chinese government looked towards their equivalent to the head of our FDA. When it was discovered that he was taking/giving bribes and cutting corners in order to make money under the table he was charged, tried, and executed so quickly that he was dead before the story even hit the news.

I think if China can execute a major government official in record time... they can block any foreign movies from theaters for as long as they want.

18.12.2007 15:04 #17

tefarko

Quote:I think if China can execute a major government official in record time...so, in a country were corrupt gov officials can be excuted in no time they STILL are corrupt, guess what happens on "civilized" countries where they are not...

18.12.2007 16:10 #18

vinny13

Way to stick it to'em China!

18.12.2007 16:54 #19

tester22

I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS. The words "retaliate" and "CHINESE" aren't good at all for the U.S. We're gonna get bombed, maybe invaded. 1.3 billion Chinese inside this country of 300 million...............NOT FUNNY!

18.12.2007 17:44 #20

tester22

"You no give us movie to pirate!" "You die now for dat" HA HA HA

18.12.2007 17:49 #21

MPatto

Me NO love you long time, lol

18.12.2007 19:08 #22

joe777

Its FRIED rice you PLICK. Ah you take piss from me? Ok you keep movie out of china.
Way to go oooooocha boys

18.12.2007 19:16 #23

freedom2

well i wasn't going to post back but..must say something about your reply

guess that was out a line but.......

you or any one else don't need to be calling people ignorant....

"Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself"....

18.12.2007 19:26 #24

joe777

Originally posted by MPatto: Me NO love you long time, lolNice 1 man.
" I s**k, you f**k, love you long time "
" Your movies suck and you dont f**k me with shit movies anymore and I dont love you no more and when oil runs out in US and russia sell to us then we f**k you long long time. No gas in the US, no prob we buy your new corvette for flied lice and a balloon and a stick if it has a good radio " lol

18.12.2007 19:26 #25

jetyi83

Quote:Originally posted by MPatto: Me NO love you long time, lolNice 1 man.
" I s**k, you f**k, love you long time "
" Your movies suck and you dont f**k me with shit movies anymore and I dont love you no more and when oil runs out in US and russia sell to us then we f**k you long long time. No gas in the US, no prob we buy your new corvette for flied lice and a balloon and a stick if it has a good radio " lol
let me guess you like your cousins and grew up in the south?

18.12.2007 20:30 #26

jetyi83

double

18.12.2007 20:31 #27

DVDBack23

Originally posted by freedom2: well i wasn't going to post back but..must say something about your reply

guess that was out a line but.......

you or any one else don't need to be calling people ignorant....

"Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself"....Well explain to me how this is not news then? By all means...

19.12.2007 00:41 #28

nobrainer

Ah america alienating themselves from revenue because they think that everyone must want their exports, jees they are so wrong!

so lets get this straight America demand that piracy is curtailed even with the extent of pircy occuring in the US and threaten them with wto embargos so millions of poor ppl will perish due to the lack of subsidies, wow that will stop the pirates!

NO BLOOD FOR OIL......

good bye MPAA you have just put another nail in the coffin!

Tor: anonymity online HIDE your IP from the spies, post and browse anonymously! http://www.torproject.org/

THE RIAA SOUNDEXCHANGE ARE: SONY, UNIVERSAL , WARNER GROUP, EMI.

THE MPAA ARE: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

19.12.2007 03:37 #29

i1der

i love america, but these corporation need to learn to respect, served them right! And they know that we need their product more than they need these movies on theater. comparing to us... How often do you go see a movie on theaters? How often you see a movie on DVD or AVI or whatever... The is no more 10" TV's, i get a better experience from Movies that i see on my HDTV then these crappy theaters, i'm sure they wont miss that much.

19.12.2007 08:42 #30

leady

stop fu**** around here mam
This is the place for discussing!

Be POLITE.

19.12.2007 11:49 #31

freedom2

i don't need to explain anything to you..........

i can post my comments here like everyone else. i have been a member here for several years just like a bunch of others...........

you are ignorant as well, you don't see me out here calling people
names and such.....i guess because your a staff member that gives
you the right to call/insult people instead of moving the comment
or just telling someone in a nice way about it........

the way i see it your ignorant as well because it was just easier
for you to call names instead...............

if you intend to do people that way i guess that satisfies you
so be it....................

19.12.2007 17:47 #32

vinny13

There's beef flyin' all over this forum these days... Even the Staff Members now!

19.12.2007 21:59 #33

tester22

Awwww........LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE. This was theeee funniest string of posts and now my day has improved 100 fold. Coworkers are no doubt wondering why I'm cackling my arse off over here.

LMAO............."It's fried rice you plick".

It's that very movie that makes me always refer to it as "flied lice".

'You go now. You eat everything on table.........put us out of business' HA HA HA--too funny.

In the spirit of Christmas (holidays) ------ Ahh soo...you have happy holiday Afterdawn-san

20.12.2007 13:24 #34

Jimg1220

Originally posted by freedom2: well i wasn't going to post back but..must say something about your reply

guess that was out a line but.......

you or any one else don't need to be calling people ignorant....

"Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself"....Now if we could only ban China from bringing people over here, that would be swell.

20.12.2007 18:00 #35

tester22

Quote:Originally posted by freedom2: well i wasn't going to post back but..must say something about your reply

guess that was out a line but.......

you or any one else don't need to be calling people ignorant....

"Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself"....Now if we could only ban China from bringing people over here, that would be swell.
HA HA HA.....Too funny!

I'm all for that but I believe that the numbers would favor us a bit more if we were to concentrate on banning Mexico.

Too F'en funny........perfect end to an uneventful day at work. Gracias or Okina-chee chee

20.12.2007 18:17 #36

joe777

^^^^ Wheres uncle benny?

20.12.2007 18:38 #37

Jimg1220

Quote:Quote:Originally posted by freedom2: well i wasn't going to post back but..must say something about your reply

guess that was out a line but.......

you or any one else don't need to be calling people ignorant....

"Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself"....Now if we could only ban China from bringing people over here, that would be swell.hahaha I agree with you on that one!

HA HA HA.....Too funny!

I'm all for that but I believe that the numbers would favor us a bit more if we were to concentrate on banning Mexico.

Too F'en funny........perfect end to an uneventful day at work. Gracias or Okina-chee chee

20.12.2007 18:41 #38

Mez

Some of you are getting bent out of shape for nothing. This is just business. You have China making most of the worlds goods. That was our industry's doing more than theirs! We gave them money and the know how to put us out of business.

This is just a game. Apparently, Chinese officials are not as easily bribed as the US officials. The Chinese wanted a 5 year timeline to clean up piracy and they got slapped by the media maffia saying that was not good enough. The Chinese punched back. The MM is on the floor reeling from the punch.

I think they will now get the respect they deserve, YES DESERVE. The US, British and French put our nuts in their vise. All they need to do is squeeze! Air bus is now making planes in China. When the contract expires so will Air Bus! Some salesman got his blood money commission. Probably all the top guys got their cut for selling their company out. It will be the citizans that will need to pay the bill. However we are probably getting what we deserve as well. We should have not so willingly bought the cheaper products knowing we are putting our countryman out of business. I guess we are all whores, no one is blameless!

21.12.2007 08:19 #39

borhan9

LOL!!! See not everyone bows to the U.S Government.

27.12.2007 16:57 #40

tester22

Originally posted by borhan9: LOL!!! See not everyone bows to the U.S Government.Exactly.............I would like to force Bush to bow to us. Now he's a "Plick". Me no love you long time no more Bushy.......You get out now!

And WHO'S gettin' all bent outta shape "Mez"? Not me, not the majority of this post. It's funny........have fun, be funny, reeeellaaaaaaxxxxxxxxx.

Oh and Happy Holidays to ya'!!

28.12.2007 12:14 #41

tester22

What does a Chinese video gamer yell when he's down to his last guy playing a game??

--"ONEGUY! ONEGUY!"

:)

28.12.2007 12:18 #42

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