The series of court actions against Apple in China is unending as the tech giant is being sued by an arm of China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) over a propaganda video from 1994.
According to reports, a SAFRT subsidiary-the Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Centre claims it has exclusive online rights to the film, ‘Xuebo dixiao’ which focused on China battling Japan in the 1930s. The subsidiary claimed that Apple streaming the movie led to huge losses.
Interestingly, the movie wasn’t aired directly by Apple, but via Youku HD, an Apple store app. However, Apple is not alone in this suit as Heyi Information and Technology, Youku’s parent company is also being sued. The Subsidiary is urging the court to give an order to take down the film and for both firms to pay $7,500.
This is the second time Apple is clashing with SART. In Aprill, the group shut down iTunes Movies and iBooks. Besides, Apple lost a trademark suit against a Beijing-based accessory producer that names its products IPHONE and more recently, it was accused of replicating an unpopular Chinese brand’s design for its iPhone 6 and 6 plus.
Perhaps, these court cases is a signal that Apple is not welcomed in China. Will Apple leave the country in the future? We are watching!
