Xunlei Ordered to Pay Over $1 Million for Copyright Infringement

Shanghai Intellectual Property Court has issued a final ruling in a copyright dispute concerning the popular drama series "Wo Shi Xing Jing" (I Am a Criminal Investigator). Xunlei Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Xunlei) has been ordered to pay 7.86 million yuan (approximately $1.08 million USD) in economic damages and litigation costs to Beijing iQIYI Technology Co., Ltd. (iQIYI).

The case centered on Xunlei's "Liuchang Bo" (Smooth Play) and "Yun Jiātuō" (Cloud Add) functions, which were found to facilitate the bulk dissemination of infringing content, including the "Wo Shi Xing Jing" series. The court determined that Xunlei's actions constituted aiding and abetting copyright infringement, overturning a lower court's finding of direct infringement but upholding the substantial penalty.

The court explicitly stated that internet service providers cannot evade infringement liability by claiming "technical neutrality" or "combined storage." The ruling emphasized that platforms leveraging technological advantages for traffic generation and profit, while neglecting their copyright oversight obligations, exceed the boundaries of legitimate technical operations.

Both Xunlei and iQIYI had appealed the initial verdict. iQIYI sought full compensation for its claimed damages, while Xunlei maintained its innocence and requested the dismissal of all claims. The final judgment upheld the high damages award, signifying increased accountability for online platforms regarding copyright protection in China, particularly amidst the ongoing "Jianwang 2026" campaign targeting online piracy.