This time, a media watchdog is saying that Apple has infringed on copyright by allowing a propaganda film to be viewed through Youku HD, a streaming app available in the App Store.
Apple’s presence in China is on the rise, but so are its legal woes.
The Cupertino, California-based company is now being sued by an arm of China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) over a propaganda video from 1994, reports the AP. A SARFT subsidiary, the Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Centre, claims it has exclusive online rights to the film, and that Apple broadcasting the film has caused “huge economic losses.”
The film in question, “Xuebo dixiao,” focuses on China battling Japan in the 1930s. It wasn’t broadcast directly by Apple, but through Youku HD, an app available in the App Store.
Both Apple and Heyi Information and Technology, Youku’s parent company, are being sued, with the Centre demanding the film be taken down and both organisations pay 50,000 yuan, which converts to roughly $7,500.
It’s not Apple’s first run in with SARFT, with the group shutting down iTunes’ Movies and iBooks services back in April. That would be the first in a string of setbacks for the company in China — in May it lost a trademark suit against a Beijing-based accessory maker that brands some of its products as “IPHONE”, and in June it was accused of copying a little-known Chinese brand’s design and using it on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Apple was contacted for comment but did not immediately respond.
Despite legal woes, the company has been pushing into the People’s Republic harder than ever in recent months. There were several not-too-subtle nods towards China at June’s WWDC 2016 keynote, which followed CEO Tim Cook visiting the country and announcing that Apple would be investing $1 billion in Didi Chuxing, China’s Uber competitior.
The populous nation is Apple’s second biggest market outside of the US, and it has ramped up its efforts there in the face of rising competition from the likes of Xiaomi and Huawei.
Source: cnet.com
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“saying that Apple has infringed on copyright by allowing a propaganda film to be viewed through Youku HD, a streaming app available in the App Store”
Uh, isn’t that like arresting a bus driver because, unknown to him, one of the passengers on his bus is a thief???
Is this even really news? This is normal business.
China the capital of copy! Pretty funny all the lawsuits from the communist country!
Not again
“saying that Apple has infringed on copyright by allowing a propaganda film to be viewed through Youku HD, a streaming app available in the App Store”
Uh, isn’t that like arresting a bus driver because, unknown to him, one of the passengers on his bus is a thief???
@ViewRoyal Not when Apple controls the app store like it were the communist dictator of a small country, it’s not. Apple should be held, at the very least, 95% accountable for everything that takes place via apps available on the app store. If they want to be free from accountability they need to release their hold on the app store quite a bit.
@lnxusr @ViewRoyal There is a difference here. Lets say Apple was being sued in the US because of a video that appears on YouTube. Apple has zero control of what is shown on YouTube, despite the fact that they can grant or deny the app. For video streaming services the app is merely a gateway to cloud services which Apple has no control over. For example, Apple is notorious for blocking apps that are not family friendly. But that doesn’t mean you can’t watch rated R content via HBO Now.
Is this even really news? This is normal business.
China the capital of copy! Pretty funny all the lawsuits from the communist country!
@JrFunk
Meh. The US, Europe, and other countries have created their own precedent; now it’s up to the similar precedent being set in China.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how the court case pans out; Chinese companies will be able to figure out where the line is drawn in the sand for them.
Not again