Bilibili Scandal

CBA has demanded 406 million yuan (US$60.12 million) in legal compensation, for its specialised tabs, channels and rankings on its website to host CBA-related content, which is a “direct and deliberate infringement”, the Beijing court’s filing said, with 281 full videos and 416 highlight clips of the CBA Games during the 2019 and 2020 season, as Bilibili’s rights for streaming the CBA’s ended 2018-2019.

The copyright infringement case against Bilibili is currently being processed by the Beijing Intellectual Property Court. Bilibili, which is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and in Hong Kong, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

China has tight streaming rules and this scandal comes after Bilibili's announcement to clamp down on activities of virtual live-streamers seeking to generate more user traffic with “malicious content that challenges good morals and public order”, according to an announcement published on the company’s website.

Both live-streaming and sporting events are significant businesses for Bilibili, with live streaming forming 40% of its total revenue Q1 FY2021 and sporting events bringing in revenue of 30.9 billion yuan in 2019 from 2016, with a total audience of 138 million as of 2020, according to data from research institute Qianzhan.

With streaming services becoming increasingly popular, it is up to the servers to ensure content is not copywrited and legally approved.

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