CCTV Loses Copyright Infringement Suit, Pays Damages
Yangtse Evening Post, 7/16/09
The Haidian District People's Court in Beijing yesterday found CCTV guilty of unauthorized rebroadcasting of the soap opera Gege Yao Chujia ("Gege's Wedding"), ordering the television network to pay RMB 150,000 in damages to copyright holder Guangdong Greatstar Film Co, Ltd. Greatstar's demand of a public apology from CCTV, however, was not supported by the court. Greatstar president Deng Jianguo said that during CCTV's illegal broadcast of Gege's Wedding, the broadcaster made RMB 10 mln in advertising fees, and said he would continue his suit against the company in hopes of receiving further remuneration.
Greatstar first sued CCTV during the latter half of 2008, claiming that CCTV's opera channel illegally rebroadcast Gege's Wedding from July 26 to July 31, 2008. Greatstar sought damages of RMB 1.5 mln and a public apology in all national newspapers.
Keywords: Deng Jianguo CCTV copyright television law litigation Beijing Haidian District People's Court IPR infringement Greatstar
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