Mickey Mouse turning e-ears to the mainland

Updated at 4.56pm: The US Disney Internet Group has authorised Sea Rainbow Holding Company to operate Disney.com.cn in the mainland, Beijing Morning Post reported on Friday.

This site is the Chinese language version of Disney online.

Sea Rainbow, a mainland firm known for online computer games, will give Disney a "token'' payment for the international Disney logo, the contents of Disney.com and the pay-for-use Disney educational Web site called BLAST.

Disney.com.cn will be linked to all Web sites under Sea Rainbow Holdings, including ourgame.com, asiagame.com and chinaed.com. After the Disney China site opens on June 1, (Children's Day) Internet users can play Chinese edition of Disney games, and download the site's movies and cartoons.

The two partners will also develop online English teaching materials to supplement BLAST, according to the Beijing Morning Post. They will share any profits earned during the contract's first three years.

Although the deal involves no money and promises no immediate profits, Disney's high profile could benefit Sea Rainbow on the mainland A-share market. Sea Rainbow's retrenched 60 staff members from its cis.com.cn, another games site, in early February signalling it was preparing for the Disney deal.