MPA Sues Chinese Web Site Over Piracy

Six members of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) have filed copyright infringement suits against Chinese file-sharing company Xunlei Networking Technology and are seeking 7 million yuan ($1 million). The company is partially owned by Google who has had its fair share of copyright battles in the U.S.

The MPA is also asking for a public admission of the copyright infringement and a promise from Xunlei to halt any future infringements.

The MPA alleges Xunlei allows users of its file sharing service to download copies of movies, including "Spiderman 3," "War of the Worlds," and Miami Vice." The MPA listed 32 titles in its complaint and sent 78 infringement notices to Xunlei over five weeks.

"These actions demonstrate that copyright holders can and will vigorously defend their property by any legal means," Frank Rittman, the MPA’s Asia-Pacific vice president. "P2P piracy is a huge problem in China, which if left unattended will threaten the continued development of legitimate online services supported by copyright owners," Rittman said.

The plaintiffs involved in the case against Xunlei include Twentieth Century Fox International, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Buena Vista International, Universal International Films and Warner Bros.