China urged to stop illegal streaming of Disney+'s 'Moving'

Chinese film rating website ″Douban″ posts reviews on Disney+'s original drama series ″Moving.″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The Chinese government has to stop its people from illegally streaming platform content, said Korean scholar and activist Seo Kyoung-duk on Wednesday.

“A recent Disney+blockbuster ‘Moving’ is being streamed illegally in China,” Seo said in a social media post, uploading a screen capture of the Chinese film ratings website “Douban” with over 38,000 reviews on the Disney+ original drama series.

“Illegal distribution of Korean content in China has become a routine act, with people habitually downloading and streaming globally popular series such as 'The Glory,' 'Squid Game,' and 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,'” Seo added.

It is time for Chinese authorities to step in and put an end to such practices, he said, pointing out that Chinese people are infringing upon Korean artists’ image rights with pirated content.

“Authorities in China are fully aware of the issue but have continued to turn a blind eye. They have to learn to respect other cultures and start showing it through actions.”

Seo said the Chinese government is capable of exercising strict regulations of intellectual property rights violations as they have done with Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda character and mascot for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Beijing has implemented a zero-tolerance approach toward copyright infringement of Bing Dwen Dwen, issuing a guidebook specifying the legal usage of the panda mascot and 62 other Olympic symbols.

Chinese officials in February 2022 gave a one-year sentence and a 40,000 yuan ($5,480) fine to an individual who was caught making and selling pirated copies of the mascot.

Seo also called on Korean content producers to not only make good content but also establish a system where such productions are protected around the world.

Seo is a general education professor at Sungshin Women’s University who is known for voicing support for Korean culture, especially when it concerns Korea-China and Korea-Japan disputes.

“Moving” was first released on Aug. 9 on Disney+ and has gained traction among global viewers to hit a record-high weekly app usage of 185 minutes in the fourth week of August.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]