Chinese media companies demand short video platforms take action against content piracy

A group of more than 70 Chinese film and TV makers have called on short video platforms to remove content being used without authorisation.

The group includes Chinese giants such as streamers iQIYI, Tencent Video and Alibaba’s Youku.

According to a report from China’s national broadcaster CCTV, ‘hundreds of millions’ of Chinese internet users are consuming and uploading short clips from films and TV shows on platforms such as Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok which is owned by the same parent company ByteDance.

The group published a list of demands, including the immediate ‘purge’ of unauthorised content and increased moderation to prevent future infringement. 

This list of demands follows a warning shot from the 70-plus companies two weeks ago, where the group said that it would take “necessary legal action” against short video platform operators if they failed to clamp down on piracy.

Tensions within China for ByteDance are only matched by tensions in the US, where the company has reportedly shelved its planned initial public offering plan. Sources cited by South China Morning Post claimed that ByteDance has yet to find a way to restructure its business to meet regulatory requirements in both China and the US.