03 February 2016
Talpa Global B.V., the creator and owner of the format “The Voice of China,” has been granted an injunction against Star China Media Limited and its affiliate, Meng Xiang Qiang Yin Cultural and Broadcast (Shanghai) Company Limited (the “Defendants”), as a result of their and their affiliates’ unauthorised and unlawful actions in relation to The Voice of China.
Talpa terminated the Defendants’ existing license agreement for The Voice of China on January 8, 2016. Despite this action, the Defendants continued to make use of Talpa’s IPRs, including by commencing preparations for an unauthorised Series 5 of The Voice of China. The injunction ordered by the Hong Kong High Court on January 22, 2016 fully confirms Talpa’s position and prevents the Defendants and their affiliates from continuing their unlawful actions.
Talpa wholly rejects the Defendants’ allegations that this dispute reflects unfair treatment of a Chinese company, or a desire to charge extortionate license fees for The Voice of China. Talpa conducts business on a global level with all of its licensees — wherever they are based — in the spirit of mutual fairness and respect.
The Defendants did not approach Talpa in the same spirit. Instead, the Defendants expected Talpa to accept a below-market license fee that did not reflect the popularity of The Voice of China, the significant revenues that the show has generated for the Defendants over the past four series, or the current value of the sponsorship rights to the programme. The Defendants’ subsequent conduct — especially their unauthorised preparations for Series 5 of The Voice of China — meant that it was no longer feasible for Talpa to continue the relationship.
Talpa remains committed to its projects in China, as demonstrated by its new contracts with Zhejiang Tangde (Talent International), which were announced on January 29, 2016. The two companies will jointly develop and operate more than 200 variety TV shows in which Talpa owns the IPRs, including Series 5 to 8 of The Voice of China. Talpa looks forward to building its relationship with Zhejiang Tangde and the Chinese community over the coming years, and producing even more engaging and entertaining programming for Chinese audiences.
Talpa will continue to take all legal options available to enforce and protect its rights from further unauthorised use by the Defendants. Talpa also hopes that its actions will help to reinforce China’s resolve to offer equal protection to intellectual property rights for all companies, including Chinese companies and foreign investors – a policy that Talpa unequivocally supports.
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