Chinese Movie Site Sues Hollywood Group For Overstating Settlement Terms
from the itchy-trigger-finger dept
The motion picture industry has a habit of overstating its victories against copyright infringement. It appears that one Chinese firm is so upset about this that it's going back to court. The MPA (the international version of the MPAA) had sued the Chinese site Jeboo for distributing Hollywood movies online last year. Earlier this year, the studios and Jeboo reached a settlement, at which point the MPA announced triumphantly that Jeboo had stopped "infringing activities," had apologized and paid a substantial sum. Jeboo, however, said that the terms of the deal were confidential and as a part of the deal, the company absolutely did not admit to any illegal activity. To Jeboo, the MPA's announcement suggests otherwise, and therefore Jeboo is now back in court suing the MPA for its portrayal of the settlement. The MPA folks must be stunned. They've all gotten away with exaggerating for so long the idea that someone would call them on it (in court, no less) must be a surprise.
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by Anonymous Coward on Mar 28th, 2008 @ 2:16pm
Now that's cinema.
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No Country For MPAA by MD on Mar 28th, 2008 @ 2:25pm
Hmmm... I wonder if the MPA's lawyers explained to them what the term "confidentiality" meant? And if one side breaches the contract in terms of confidentiality, does that relieve the other side of its obligation to remain silent?
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Yep, in most cases... by Rose M. Welch on Mar 28th, 2008 @ 7:50pm
...it does. Once the contract has been broken, it is void. There is no longer a contract. The MPA no longer has an obligation to follow the contract, unless there were provisions in place that say otherwise.
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MPA by Mouse on Mar 29th, 2008 @ 5:15am
Does that mean they will have to give the money back and I hope they do. We are so used so suing in this country that maybe we forgot other countries take it a lot more serious than we do. Your word is your word and they splattered that everywhere. What part of "confidentiality" do they not understand? None evidently.
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by troye a.k.a PDFman on Mar 29th, 2008 @ 11:30am
YES, the MPAA finally get some coming to 'em.
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by Lucretious on Mar 30th, 2008 @ 9:27am
"jeBoo"?
sounds like a racial slur.....
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by Charming Charlie on Mar 30th, 2008 @ 9:48pm
This is an "only in China moment" where a group of people as large as a corporation are so worried about face and shame that they counter sue after settling because the other side made them look culpable.
When its just a man on the street giving you directions in the wrong direction because he's too afraid to admit he doesn't know it's just annoying.
But when it's a country/government refusing to accept the apologies of Japan for WW2 atrocities, or America for bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, it's a much weightier problem.
Chinese simply can't allow themselves to be embarassed because they think it's a zero-sum game. If you embarass a Chinese person, business, or China itself, be prepared to deal with the backlash. It will come, and it will come from some of the most minor and, to Westerners, surprising transgressions.
Concepts of simple forgiveness or ignoring are relatively foriegn. Imagining China a talk show ghetto-stereotype snaping it's fingers in the air going "uhh uhh, no you di'n't." All the time.
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Re: by Anonymous Coward on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 5:08am
So if I call them a bunch of chinkos can now expect some for of harsh retribution?
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