China Media Monitor Headlines Archives

Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd (SNDA) will sue popular mainland search engine Baidu for copyright infringement in January 2010, reports Sina. SNDA claims that Baidu has illegally provided search engine users with results that links to websites that host books containing content pirated from SNDA. It also alleges that Baidu has deliberately excluded its company from its lists of the most popular online novels. SNDA plans to ask Baidu for more than RMB1 million (US$146,413) in compensation for infringing the copyright on five book titles.

The income generated by China's digital publishing industry will surpass the traditional publishing industry and reach RMB75 billion (US$10.98 billion) by the end of 2009, reports Digital Times. The report defines "digital publishing" as all text that can be read via Internet websites, mobile phones or other forms of portable electronic readers. The income generated by the digital publishing industry is expected to grow by at least 50% year-on-year every year while reader numbers are expected to grow by at 30% year-on-year every year. The digital publishing industry made RMB53 billion (US$7.76 billion) in 2008, a 46.42% increase on 2007.

Shanghai had one million Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) users by December 16, more than any other city in China, reports ChinaNews. Shanghai plans to launch nine new high definition (HD) IPTV channels in 2010, including dedicated film and sports channels.

The premiere of the US-UK co-production Avatar will be postponed from January 2 to 4, according to Weng Li, the spokesman of the Chinese distributor China Film Group. The film's director, James Cameron, will attend mainland premier in China.

2009 was a prosperous year for China's broadcast industry, according to an official speech at the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV's New Year Film Reception on December 18. SARFT Minister Wang Taihua said the broadcast industry continued to grow throughout the year, with radio, cable TV and digital cable TV network expansion on track. The film industry also continued to grow, with around 450 films produced in China and more than RMB6 billion at the box office. Wang Taihua promised SARFT will continue to increase international cooperation and communication next year. The reception ended with a screening of Bodyguards and Assassins (Shiyue Weicheng).