Chinese streaming giant iQIYI faces legal action over 'Oldboy'
Chinese streaming service iQIYI, with over 100M subscribers, is facing legal action for allegedly streaming the Korean film Oldboy without a valid license for at least six years. The London-based distributor of Oldboy, Celsius Entertainment, has lodged a legal claim against the company. Lawyers representing Celsius and Egg Films, the film's producer, accused iQIYI of copyright infringement in August last year after its license for the film expired in 2016.
'Pirated broadcast will have negative impacts in China, South Korea'
The legal letter sent to iQIYI, as seen by Deadline, warned that "the pirated broadcast of this film will have a wide range of negative impacts in China, South Korea as well as around the world." The letter emphasized iQIYI's social responsibility to protect intellectual property rights and safeguard the corporate image of Chinese enterprises. iQIYI did not respond to media requests for comment.
Celsius Entertainment seeks compensation for unlicensed streaming
Celsius Entertainment is reportedly seeking compensation in "low six-figure US dollars," underlining the value of Park Chan-wook's 2003 film Oldboy, which won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. iQIYI removed Oldboy from its platform within three days of receiving the legal warning but has been hesitant to meet Celsius's compensation demands. The streaming service is believed to have offered only a low four-figure sum to Celsius, leading to a stalemate in negotiations late last year.
iQIYI refuses to disclose 'Oldboy' streaming figures
To date, iQIYI has not paid any compensation and has reportedly refused to provide streaming figures for Oldboy. The company has also declined to share a copy of its purchase agreement and proof of subscription video-on-demand rights in China. Meanwhile, the film Oldboy, starring Choi Min-sik as a man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, recently gained further attention with Lionsgate Television announcing an English-language series adaptation last month.
