International
Piracy of Hong Kong made films on YouTube amounts to loss of over $308 million
MUMBAI: A good deal of copyright infringement of Hong Kong-made films from YouTube has been unearthed with pirated footage of over 200 Hong Kong films found on the world’s largest video-sharing website.
The act amounts to an estimated loss of over $308 million to the local film industry, according to the Hong Kong Motion Pictures Industry Association (MPIA). The members of the Association have urged YouTube and other video-sharing websites to enforce the German Court ruling last Friday to implement measures to restrict content that infringe copyright.
The recent local box office hit Love in the Buff was found to be the most uploaded film that directly affected the theatrical gross of the film. The videos were taken off after a formal complaint made to YouTube by Media Asia, the copyright holder of Love in the Buff.
But YouTube did not act promptly when contacted by Media Asia to remove the illegally obtained film, taking days for the removal. “YouTube repeatedly requested the copyright holder to prove that they are the holder in order to remove the pirated videos of Love in the Buff, while they allow anyone to claim to be the copyright holder when uploading the videos. It’s very unreasonable,” MPIA CEO Brian Chung has been reported to have said. “The pirated videos on YouTube greatly hurt the theatrical performance of the film,” he added.
In view of the pirated video of Buff on YouTube, MPIA members have searched and found in three days over 200 films illegally uploaded on to YouTube, including films from both the past and recent Hong Kong Film Award winners like A Simple Life, The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, Echoes of the Rainbow, and Shaolin Soccer.
With accumulated views of over 40 million, MPIA estimated a loss of over HK$2.4 billion to the Hong Kong film industry based on an average cinema ticket price of HK$60.
International
Council of Europe to unveil new TV and streaming co-production convention
Series Mania Forum to host landmark signing to boost global TV collaboration
LILLE: The small screen is getting a big policy push. At this year’s Series Mania Forum in Lille, Alain Berset will take centre stage to chair the opening ceremony for a new international convention aimed at reshaping how television and streaming series are co-produced across borders.
Set for March 26 at the Théâtre Marie Curie in Lille Grand Palais, the signing marks the debut of the first legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent co-production of series. In an industry where stories travel faster than ever, the move aims to make collaboration smoother, fairer and more transparent.
Backed by the Council of Europe, the convention is designed to strengthen cultural ties, give independent producers a firmer footing, and bring greater clarity to deals in a rapidly evolving content landscape. With streaming platforms fuelling a surge in global storytelling, the timing feels deliberate.
Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset, underscored the cultural heft of series today, noting how they carry voices and viewpoints across borders. He called on member states and countries beyond Europe to sign on, framing the initiative as a way to turn culture into a tool for cooperation and democratic exchange.
For Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, hosting the signing is both symbolic and strategic. She described the convention as a step that could widen the range of stories reaching audiences, staying true to the forum’s long-standing mission of championing diverse storytelling.
The ceremony will unfold alongside the Lille Dialogues, a high-level summit that gathers policymakers and industry leaders to debate the future of Europe’s audiovisual sector. Berset is also set to deliver the opening address there, adding political weight to a week already rich in creative ambition.
In short, as screens multiply and borders blur, Europe is putting a framework in place to ensure that storytelling keeps pace, collaboratively and coherently.
