Baidu launching online-video company

[travelin cat]

Baidu announced on Wednesday that it is creating an independent company to offer premium online videos to Chinese Internet users. The new entity is designed to work with content providers to supply copyrighted material, including movies, TV shows, sports, and animation, and it will generate its revenue through advertisements.

More from cnet here [news.cnet.com].

[bill]

The Register had a tounge-in-cheek headline: Baidu launches (legal) online video company [theregister.co.uk]. I think a lot of people outside China have a somewhat skewed image of Baidu and its media offerings after some well publicized run ins with copyright holders.

Google's YouTube is often blocked in China, so they won't have a strong leg to stand on when competing with Baidu in the video market in China. This is a big move ahead for Baidu in the China market.

[grelmar]

Google's YouTube is often blocked in China...

I was thinking along the same lines.

But... What western studio/distributor is going to sign with Baidu for content distribution? As you also mentioned, they don't have a great track record for dealing with copyright holders. And China's legal system is, "unpredictable", to put it mildly.

[httpwebwitch]

yeah, well video sharing sites aren't all about pirated music videos and clips from "Britain's Got Talent". Chinese home-grown content will do well at Baidu. Great strategic move for them.

[grelmar]

True...

Baidu has done a great job of "Knowing their market" in a way that Google can't seem to grasp.

China is it's own little world (actually, big world consider it's 1/4 of the world pop), Baidu just needs to understand that corner of the world, and it keeps on being successful.

[alex0811]

Now in China, many big internet companies want to set up video sites similar to HULU.

Video sites like youtube (UGC) are facing many difficulties in China right now.