Feud between Tencent, Today's Headlines Escalates with Fresh Lawsuits
BiaNews, 6/02/18
Chinese internet conglomerate Tencent (0700.HK) recently issued a statement saying that Beijing-based Bytedance Technology, operator of popular news aggregation platform Today's Headlines and short video apps Douyin and Huoshan ("Volcano"), and its indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary Microlive Vision Technology, have been slandering Tencent through a number of channels, causing serious harm to Tencent's reputation.
Accordingly, Tencent said that it has filed a lawsuit against Bytedance Technology and Microlive Vision Technology in Beijing's Haidian District People's Court. Tencent is seeking RMB 1 in compensatory damages as well as an injunction ordering the two companies to issue public apologies through their online media platforms.
Tencent said that since May 2018, the operators of Today's Headlines and Douyin have used their news and media platforms to publish and broadcast numerous comments, articles, and videos disparaging Tencent. Tencent said that in response it will suspend its partnership activities with Today's Headlines and Douyin.
Today's Headlines issued a response stating that Tencent has used its monopoly position on multiple occasions to engage in unfair competitive behavior and that it has also filed a lawsuit against Tencent regarding matters including Tencent's QZone platform interception and blocking links to Today's Headlines content, and Tencent's security manager software blocking links to Today's Headlines. It asks that Tencent immediately stop these unfair competitive practices, apologize publicly, and pay RMB 90 mln in economic damages.
The Beijing Haidian District People's Court registered both cases on June 1 and the parties have already submitted evidence regarding the matter.
Keywords: Internet wireless Tencent 0700.HK Bytedance Today's Headlines Douyin Microlive Vision litigation law mobile music online information service mobile information service mobile short video
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