As of June 2020, the number of short video users surpassed 818 million, taking up 87 percent of all netizens, according to a report released at the Eighth China Internet Audio and Video Convention last year.

The increasingly booming market of short videos has sprouted the thorny issue of copyright protection.

On April 9, more than 70 Chinese film and television show makers plus associations called for short video platforms to immediately take down any of their content without explicit authorization, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

Enticed by visual excerpts taken from films or TV shows, often without permission, hundreds of millions of Chinese Internet users have turned to short video platforms as a source of information.

The group, which includes video streaming platforms iQIYI and Tencent, published a list of demands calling on short video platforms to immediately purge any unauthorized content, according to CCTV.

Meanwhile, local governments should join forces to track and crack down on copyright infringement across platforms. In addition, public awareness of copyright protection can help curb cases of online infringement.

This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Economic Daily on April 23 

(Print Edition Title:Video Copyright Protection)