Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, calls a truce in war on long-form video with iQiyi licensing deal
- Douyin will be authorised to ‘recreate’ shows from iQiyi’s signature Light On channel, which includes nine already-released series in the crime and thriller genres
- iQiyi has been struggling with profitability, leading to lay-offs last year when it trimmed more than 30 per cent of workers in departments such as marketing and distribution
Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok known for its 15-second short videos, is snapping up rights to films and television shows through a partnership with iQiyi, China’s answer to Netflix.
The deal gives Douyin, which has over 600 million daily active users in China, rights to edit iQiyi’s long-form content into short video clips, according to a statement by Douyin on Tuesday.
The move could be seen as a truce in the bitter war between long-form videos, usually professional productions, and shorts, often amateur-generated video clips such as lip-synching performances.
The unauthorised re-editing of copyrighted productions was once rampant on China’s short video platforms, causing huge losses for sites such as iQiyi, which had losses of nearly US$1 billion in 2021.
China’s online video platforms, including iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Youku, signed a joint statement in April 2021 condemning individuals and firms producing and profiteering from “best-of” clips, mini reviews, and abridged versions of shows and films without proper authorisation.
Under the new agreement, Douyin will be granted a license to “recreate” shows from iQiyi’s signature Light On channel, which includes nine already-released series in the crime and thriller genres. Among them, The Bad Kids and The Long Night, won prizes at the Asia Content Awards in 2020 and 2021, respectively.