Focus

Internet movie fans fear twist in the tale

By Jiang Xueqing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-18 07:48

Distribution concern

The CFCA is making efforts to cooperate with movie providers. It invited 10 companies to attend to talks in Beijing on Nov 9, with a view to giving them the option of joining the association or becoming a partner. (When China Daily contacted the CFCA on Wednesday, a spokeswoman refused to confirm whether the meeting was successful or had even gone ahead.)

However, as the firms are already used to making large profits from selling films without the copyright licenses, experts say it is impossible to predict whether an agreement can be reached.

Beijing Netmovies Co Ltd, which supplies digital entertainment content, has already signed a contract with the CFCA, according to marketing director Cheng Tianyu.

"The association doesn't have enough people," said Cheng. "We'll help with collecting the (royalties) and distributing authorized movies to wang ba (in more than 30 cities) on the association's behalf."

Negotiations with authorities in potential pilot cities - likely Beijing, Shanghai and several prosperous cities in Guangdong, Jiangsu and Fujian provinces - are also under way. If successful, the CFCA will appoint a chief representative to find local partners, like Beijing Netmovies, to collect cash and provide other services.

Secretary-general Li Guomin said the target is to collect at least 20 million yuan in 2011 and 100 million yuan by 2014. Ninety percent of the money will go to its members, with the rest going toward administration costs.

However, concerns remain over how the money will be distributed.

As the CFCA has no way of recording exactly which movies are being played or where, it is planning a sample survey on selected Internet cafes. Decisions about who will get a greater share of the royalties will be based on the results of that trial.

"We have reservations about the measures being taken" by the CFCA, said a public relations officer at one of China's largest private film production and distribution companies, who did not want to be identified.

"If it will bring our company more financial income and increase our reputation, we'd be more than happy to cooperate, but I haven't seen a large-scale operation model," she said. "I don't know what's going to happen."

She said her company has not yet signed a contract authorizing the CFCA to manage its copyright issues, despite it being listed on the association's website as one of its 64 members.

"Distribution of the money is still something we need to discuss," added the PR officer, who suggested many other film companies are also in the same position.