The names of top executives from some of the world’s leading tech firms have filled the headlines these last 2 days, as Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) CEO Tim Cook, Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and IBM (NYSE: IBM) CEO Virginia Rometty visit China to promote their companies. But today I wanted to focus on a far less known Chinese Internet pioneer, Chen Tong, who is making headlines in his native China as he steps down at Sina (Nasdaq: SINA), the country’s leading web portal and one of its earliest Internet companies.
Perhaps one reason I’m attracted to Chen’s story is because he comes from a background similar to my own, starting out as a journalist when he joined a company in 1997 that would later lead to his employer of nearly 2 decades. Anyone who knows the Chinese Internet realizes that 2 decades is really the entire history of the medium in China, and Chen’s early arrival and wide popularity among industry veterans is drawing widespread praise and some sadness as he steps down. Read Full Post…
A couple of new reports are shining a spotlight on the turmoil rippling through the online video space, following a period of huge optimism that ended earlier this year with a crackdown by Beijing. One report shows a major consolidation that took place last year could be getting ready to enter a second round, with word that struggling social networking (SNS) firm Renren (NYSE: RENN) is selling its 56.com online video unit to Sohu (Nasdaq: SOHU), one of the sector’s leaders.
The other report details a new spending binge on self-produced original programs by another leader, Baidu-backed (Nasdaq: BIDU) iQiyi. That trend is accelerating following the regulatory crackdown, which has made purchasing popular TV programs and movies suddenly much more difficult. That’s forcing sites to find other ways to keep their viewers entertained and maintain their viewership. Read Full Post…
I decided to write about leading online video site Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU) today after reading a new report that says the company has posted a hefty 1.77 billion yuan ($290 million) in losses since its New York IPO 4 years ago. A little math will show that translates to average losses of about $20 million in each of the approximately 15 reporting quarters since it went public in December 2010. Much has changed in China’s online video space over that time, including a recent regulatory campaign to stop Youku Tudou and its peers from competing directly with traditional TV stations. Read Full Post…
The year 2014 could well go down as the “Year of the Crackdown”, as evidenced by 2 more such crackdowns in the headlines as we head in autumn. The first and larger of the pair comes in the online video space, where media are reporting the broadcasting regulator is finalizing rules that would severely limit the amount of foreign content on online video sites. Meantime, a more mild crackdown is also coming in the e-commerce space, where separate reports are saying another regulator is rolling out rules that will punish companies that overstate their transaction volumes. Read Full Post…
Rising online search star Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) has reached a major milestone, winning 30 percent of China’s traffic for the first time just 2 years after the launch of its So.com search engine. Despite that huge achievement, Qihoo’s newly released quarterly results show it’s having a harder time monetizing its search business, which may partly explain why its shares are down 20 percent since a peak in the spring. From the perspective of an observer, these latest signs still look quite encouraging and might even prompt a Qihoo skeptic like myself to consider buying the company’s stock at its current price. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
China Probes Threaten to Squeeze Foreign Profits (English article)
Shanghai GM (NYSE: GM) Admits To Coming Under Anti-Monopoly Investigation (Chinese article)
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 29. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SAIC Visits 4 Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Offices In New Investigation (Chinese article)
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Taps Tencent And JD.com For Xbox Sales In China (English article)
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 17. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
WTO Rules Against US Import Tariffs On China Steel, Solar Panels (English article)
GAPPRFT to Regulate Internet TV Platform License Holders (English article)
Sohu (Nasdaq: SOHU) Online Game Unit Changyou To Invest $91 Mln In MoboTap (PRNewswire)
Yum’s (NYSE: YUM) China Rebound Dimmed By India, Pizza Hut Weakness (English article)
Wanda Group Seeks Partners To Form E-Commerce Unit (Chinese article)
An important step in China’s ongoing battle against piracy is showing signs of being undermined, with word that a Shenzhen company that received a record fine for copyright violations was attempting to avoid the penalty through use of an old trick.
The Shenzhen government should take extra efforts to enforce the penalty, and also make sure that the company, QVOD, permanently ends its piracy practices. Such a tack would send a strong message to Chinese companies that intellectual property theft of any kind won’t be tolerated, and the government will tirelessly pursue culprits until they are brought to justice. Read Full Post…
China was traditionally known for its rampant piracy, but is now suddenly becoming a strong copyright protection advocate with the rise of a new generation of video site operators looking to protect their intellectual property. In the latest twist of this new and somewhat unexpected trend, Internet TV operator LeTV (Shenzhen: 300104) has successfully sued fast-rising smartphone maker Xiaomi for copyright violations related to Xiaomi’s problem-plagued Internet TV set-top boxes. Read Full Post…
Today’s Headlines assaulted for copyright violations
It’s not easy being a high-flying start-up, and the burden becomes even heavier when a company builds up huge expectations for itself through excessive hype. Smartphone sensation Xiaomi was in the headlines last week when it launched a big price cut, leading some to speculate the company was struggling to meet its aggressive sales targets. Now in the latest setbacks for other start-ups, media are reporting that a fast-rising news app called Today’s Headlines is being assaulted on several fronts for copyright infringement. Separately, a newly launched group of mobile service providers called virtual network operators (VNOs) has also received a setback after experiencing widespread technical glitches. Read Full Post…
