Advanced Search

Choose a Category                  Announcements Audio Desktop PCs Digital cameras & camcorders Displays Environment Events Film, TV, manga & anime Gaming GPS Home theater Household Internet Interviews iPad iPhone Japan Mobile computing NOT Japan Off Topic Peripherals Power R&D Robots Software Storage Toys Transportation Video Wireless WTF?

Choose a Month                     October 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005

 Get the stories!  Or just the comments...

• Home
  • Top
  • Archives
  • Categories
  • Tags
  • Sites We Like
• About & Contact
• Datefinder
• Buy J-Gadgets!
• Snapp! PR
• Advertise!

Superman Returns to take on DVD pirates in China
Tweet

Warner Bros wants to scale China in a single bound, releasing Superman Returns on DVD in over 8,000 retail stores nationwide on Thursday, at least two months ahead of its scheduled DVD debut elsewhere in the world.

CAV Warner Home Entertainment, a joint venture between Warner Home Video and China Audio Video, will distribute two specially priced, dubbed Mandarin-language editions of the film in an attempt to head off both domestic Chinese and international pirates.

Priced at RMB 14 (US$1.77) and RMB 22 each, the discs still cost about 40 percent more than pirated copies, but CAV hopes that the reduced price and wide distribution will at least give consumers a choice. CAV did not say what was different about the two versions of the DVD, but said that these editions are encrypted to further prevent unauthorized duplication.

In many areas of China, distribution of some authentic DVDs is limited or nonexistent, so that consumers can’t buy legitimate product even if they would prefer it.

CAV partially credited recent anti-piracy efforts by the Chinese government, including the recent “100 Day Campaign Against Piracy,” a series of raids and other actions by 10 ministries and national departments including the Ministries of Culture and Public Security. The campaign will end October 25.

“Warner Home Video is taking a course that all of Hollywood would do well to follow,” said David Wolf, chief executive officer of Wolf Group Asia, a Beijing-based media consultancy.“Rather that concentrate its efforts in China on IPR lobbyists and lawyers, Warner is aggressively moving to build a market for legitimate home video via deep distribution channels and aggressive marketing.”

The film’s website did not list a DVD release date. A check of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble’s main site did not show the film as available for pre-order in the U.S.

Warner Home Video did not provide release dates for any other markets.

— Steven Schwankert

06:29 PM Mark Hiratsuka • Permalink
Add a comment | More DWT | Get a cool job in Japan! | Follow us on Twitter

Date much?

Japanese gadgets from Tokyo Zakka! — Perfect gifts for your nerdiest friends back home!

C'mon - let's hear it...

Spammers beware: Any links in comments to commercial websites will be treated as paid advertising and will be charged at rate of $10 per link per day. Invoices will be sent to the idiots who hire you for so-called SEO jobs. All you good people will always keep it real, of course - thanks!