Top 10 copyright events in China in 2020

By Zhang Rui: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, February 18, 2021

5. Judgment was handed down in the case of "Ghost No.1."

A15591, nicknamed by police as "Ghost No.1," is on display after being seized. The mysterious server produced 31 pirated full-length films from theatrical releases since 2017. The display was part of an exhibition reviewing the achievement of an anti-piracy campaign held in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, on April 29, 2019. [Photo/ Xinhua]

"Ghost No.1" was a digital cinema projection server controlled by a sophisticated film piracy ring to make pristine HD copies of pirated movies in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province.

The NCAC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Internet Information Office jointly launched the "Sword Net 2020" campaign to crack down on internet copyright infringement and piracy issues and manage key areas where copyright infringement and piracy were frequently reported by the public. During the campaign, they deleted about 3.24 million piracy links, closed down 2,884 piracy websites and apps, and investigated 724 online piracy cases. The special campaign promoted the progress of investigations related to piracy and the handling of major online piracy cases.

The "Ghost No.1" server case in Yangzhou went to trial during the campaign, with the court sentencing the principal offender, surnamed Ma, to six years in prison and a fine of 5.5 million yuan. The other 27 defendants were also criminally punished. This effectively punished the illegal acts of the "Ghost No.1" piracy ring and those who disseminated pirated theatrical releases, an issue that had plagued the film industry for a long time.