Ku6.com Garners 70% of Hit Drama Market, Youku.com Sued on Suspicion of Piracy
BEIJING, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China's renowned video website, Ku6.com, held a news conference in Beijing this morning, announcing that it had begun to clean up locally produced video content and indicated that it would spare no effort in realizing comprehensive legalization. Prior to this, Ku6.com had already deleted all non-copyrighted European and American video content uploaded by netizens.
At the news conference, Ku6.com also announced that is believes Youku.com has pirated more than 40 dramas for which Ku6.com had exclusive copyright. As regards to Youku.com, recent negotiations having failed between the two parties, therefore Ku6.com has moved forward with the filing of a lawsuit against Youku.com at the Beijing Haidian District People's Court.
At the news conference, Ku6.com's Senior Vice President Hao Zhizhong said that simultaneous to deleting illegal content, Ku6.com has also actively cooperated in collaborating on copyrighted content. He revealed that as of now, Ku6.com has already purchased almost all of the hit dramas produced locally to be broadcast in 2010. In particular, Ku6.com has exclusive broadcasting rights for 70% of the top hit dramas among video sharing websites. Hao Zhizhong said that copyright issues have become an obstacle, restraining further development of video websites and have become a serious threat to the industry's health. As such, how to effectively resolve and protect video copyrights are unavoidable issues that video websites must confront. It is precisely because Ku6.com is aware of this point that it actively sought to resolve such issues, formally cleaning up locally produced video content uploaded by netizens. It has completed the cleaning up and deletion of content for more than 5,000 episodes and expects to complete the clean-up in April of this year. This follows Ku6.com's earlier public announcement of a clean-up of European and American dramas uploaded by netizens, and was another significant measure that shook the industry.
While taking the initiative to clean up content, Ku6.com has also actively embarked on copyright cooperation and has reached cooperative agreements with nearly 100 producers and copyright parties to purchase almost all locally produced hit dramas to be broadcast in 2010 at a large expense. To ensure the differentiated viewing experience of netizens, it has exclusive broadcasting rights for 70% of top hit dramas amongst video sharing websites. These exclusively procured dramas include dozens of the most popular locally produced hit dramas of 2010 such as Dream of the Red Chamber -- new version, Cangqiong zhi mao, Groundbreakers, Gong and Drum Alley, and To Southeast Asia.
Simultaneous to taking the initiative to clean up illegal content and cooperating actively, Ku6.com also resolutely supported anti-piracy and protecting copyright at the news conference, announcing that it had officially filed lawsuits for piracy broadcasting of dozens of dramas for which Ku6.com had exclusive copyright. Ku6.com regretfully indicated that after repeated disputes in 2009, the issue of holding copyright in contempt remains at this stage, and taking legal action against video website peers violating industry standards was the only way.
Hao Zhizhong indicated that healthy development of an industry or sector is built on the reasonable and legal foundations; conduct disrespectful of the law would not be protected by the law. As of the 22nd, Youku.com stands accused of pirating more than 40 dramas for which Ku6.com has exclusive copyright, and it has also sold to advertising customers video productions that are without copyright. Youku.com's perceived actions of piracy have left Ku6.com with no choice but to take legal action against the former at the Beijing Haidian District People's Court.
Hao Zhizhong said that the objective of these measures lies in Ku6.com having once faced similar historical problems. It is currently still in the process of cleaning up content and resolving historic copyright issues but Ku6.com has not avoided these issues, but has faced them courageously, and is taking great strides towards the legal camp. As such, in the current exercise of protecting its rights, Ku6.com, while protecting its proprietary rights, also hopes that its industry peers would see the future development trends in online video legalization and jointly undertake an upgrading of the model, moving towards the path of legalization together. In terms of website brand building and basic rights of advertising customers, disrespecting copyright results in only ephemeral benefits. This type of conduct would bring out inestimable loss to the enterprise and the industry. Ku6.com strongly urges others to emulate the positive and responsible act of Ku6.com, proactively take the initiative to clean up and delete international and local video content with copyright issues and to join the legal camp.
Moving into 2010, video websites' attitudes towards copyright has moved from one of avoidance to one of active handling, from clean-up to protection. This gradual process reflects the change in the copyright awareness of "quality" of video websites. This time round, Ku6.com's spending of a considerable sum in procuring a large number of hit dramas, and in addressing the issue with Youku.com, not only positively advances the circulation of the market's copyright of original products but also puts forward a resolution plan for the protection of rights for resolving copyright issues that have long plagued cultural innovation in China. It aims to build an industry standard on the basis of respecting the law, and to resolve issues in a reasonable manner.
Finally, Ku6.com believes that these lawsuits are not only a legal action, but also a call for responsibility. Ku6.com also confirms that out-of-court negotiations are their preferred method of settling such disputes, but that these can only happen if others are deemed to be working towards a fair conclusion and are working with the same level of responsibility as Ku6.com.
