Asia

Music industry allies against Baidu

Music industry groups have called the popular Chinese search engine Baidu “the largest and most incorrigible purveyor of pirated music in China.” Other organizations backing the initiative include the China Audio-Video Copyright Assn. and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, along with local and international record labels including EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music, Sony

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China’s Tudou scores $57 mil in financing

China’s top video-sharing site,  Tudou.com, announced $57 million in new financing Monday, confirming rumors previously circulating online. Investors include IDG, Granite Global Ventures and General Catalyst, all of which have invested in the company before. Previous funding rounds raised $500,000, $8.5 million, and $19 million, respectively. The new investment totals $85 million, the company said,

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Nostalgic for My Shanghai

I’m going to be heading off to the U.S. on July 15 — and coming back in the fall — but I’m already nostalgic for the Shanghai of today. I was down in the French Concession area this afternoon, one of the nicest parts of Shanghai. After having a quick bite at Abbey Road with

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Journalism vs. PR

Just came back from a nice lunch at KABB, in Shanghai’s people-watching mecca Xintiandi. Hose Mitamura (author of China s Environment 2008, available from Amazon) and I discussed the differences between journalism and PR. As my staff constantly reminds me, I tend to believe passionately in whatever I heard most recently. In my case, this

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Summer has come to Shanghai

Today I left the house and stepped into what, in Massachusetts, would be considered a pretty hot summer day – 77 degrees Farenheit (25 Celsius). So much for the one week of nice, spring weather. From now, it’s only going to get worse and worse. I plan to stay inside for the next two months

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Beijing Olympics, a boom or bust for China-based producers?

Whatever you think of mixing international sports with China’s politics, the Beijing Olympic Games could prove a 17-day coming out party for the country’s media and entertainment industry. Local production companies are furiously readying to capitalize if a boom materializes. The Games, which begin 100 days from Wednesday, are expected to draw 5 million visitors

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Chinese courts hit Net cafes

This article originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter. Beijing courts promised heavier fines for Internet cafes that allow patrons to illegally download movies, laying down harsh fines for offenders, state-run media reported Thursday. The new rulings are part of a trend toward greater enforcement of intellectual property rights in China. The judge in the Beijing

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Editorial Process Outsourcing

I don’t see a lot of hits for “editorial process outsourcing” in Google — but this is exactly what we do. Publications have been doing outsourcing for a long, long time. Mostly, they just outsource the development of content. They use freelance writers and freelance photographers, and they buy photos and articles from agencies. Editorial

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