South Korean broadcaster MBC has won a long-running copyright case against China’s video platform Bilibili. MBS is one of the leading Korean TV and radio broadcasters and Bilibili is often called the ‘Chinese YouTube’. The case in the Jiangsu High People’s Court led to a final ruling that increased damages and holds the Chinese video platform legally responsible for piracy hosted via user uploads.
The dispute started back to 2021, when MBC discovered that large volumes of its original programmes were being shared on Bilibili without authorisation. According to MBC, the unauthorised distribution was occurring at scale through user-generated content, with numerous clips circulating for extended periods. MBC filed suit in a Chinese court seeking damages and arguing that the platform was benefiting from the availability and visibility of pirated content. In the first trial, the court found infringement and ruled in MBC’s favour. However, MBC appealed, contending that the damages
