Framing Piracy: Globalization and Film Distribution in Greater China

by Shujen Wang

Overview

Framing Piracy is the first book to systematically examine film distribution-legal and illegal-in the largest and mostly untapped market in the world: Greater China. Tracing networks of optical disc (VCD, DVD) and online piracy, this book tackles issues of policy, international politics, globalization, and technology. It offers in-depth analyses of the unique market structures and copyright governance regimes in the three territories-China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan-and features a wealth of original research, new data on piracy and distribution, and interviews with global film distributors, key government officials, and film pirates. With changes and reforms afoot in China upon its entering the World Trade Organization, this timely book shows that such transformations have far-reaching implications for policy, theory, and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742519800
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/08/2003
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Shujen Wang is associate professor of visual and media arts at Emerson College and a research associate in the Fairbank Center for East Asian Research at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Part 1 List of Figures
Part 2 List of Photographs
Part 3 List of Tables
Part 4 Acknowledgments
Part 5 Introduction
Part 6 I: Contexts
Chapter 7 1. Global Film Distribution Revisited: Network, Technology, and Space
Chapter 8 2. Re-Contextualizing Copyright: Technology, Transnational Trade Regimes, and the State
Chapter 9 3. WTO and the Greater China Economic Circle: Local, Regional, and Global Dynamics
Chapter 10 4. VCD Killed the VHS Star
Part 11 II: Case Studies
Chapter 12 5. Film Distribution in Mainland China
Chapter 13 6. Film Piracy in Mainland China
Chapter 14 7. Film Distribution in Taiwan
Chapter 15 8. Profile: Wolf Chen
Chapter 16 9. A Culture of Illegality? Piracy in Taiwan
Chapter 17 10. The Hong Kong Connection: Distribution, Piracy, and Parallel Import
Chapter 18 11. Framing Piracy
Part 19 Appendix A
Part 20 Appendix B
Part 21 Appendix C
Part 22 Bibliography
Part 23 Index
Part 24 About the Author

Editorial Reviews

A deliciously concrete yet profoundly general account of how the media in Greater China sort out their paradoxes-as well as how they negotiate a globalizing and technological order that they had never known before.” —Chin-Chuan Lee, University of Minnesota

“The information presented in this book is very informative, fresh, and comprehensive, and the analysis provided by the author is important and thoughtful. . . . A significant contribution.” —Junhao Hong

“This book goes beyond being cutting edge; it begins to define an entire field of study-media distribution-that until now has been relegated to the margins or seen only as an area of interest to students of marketing or management. . . . I plan to use the book in my international communication courses.” —Anandam Kavoori, University of Georgia

“Wang provides a thorough, scholarly investigation of distribution and piracy in the (very) contemporary filmmaking industry. The author's approach-involving in-depth interviews, field observations, and library and archival research-is exhaustive and precise. Recommended.” —Choice Reviews

“Wang's book is divided into two parts, offering what she calls 'contexts' (historical theoretical, politico-economic-technological), followed by detailed case studies on mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The book focuses on both legal and illegal film distribution. . . . This approach enables Wang to demonstrate the crucial relationships between global, national, regional, and local forces. For those interested in the political economy of the film industry in Greater China, this is a valuable pioneering work, offering a wealth of rich detail largely unavailable elsewhere.” —The China Journal

“Shujen Wang's extensive field research and thoughtful analysis unveils the mysteries of media piracy, showing how the fundamental logic of commercial film distribution is changing in our globalizing, hi-tech world. This fascinating study demonstrates why Greater China is at once the most promising and the most problematic market that Hollywood has ever confronted.” —Michael Curtin, Mellichamp Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara; author of Playing to the World's Biggest Audience

“Shujen Wang provides a valuable range of contexts, both theoretical and practical....The great merit of this essay lies in its meticulous attention to detailing the link between global production and local distribution under globalism.” —2008, Journal Of International Communication

From the Publisher

Shujen Wang's extensive field research and thoughtful analysis unveils the mysteries of media piracy, showing how the fundamental logic of commercial film distribution is changing in our globalizing, hi-tech world. This fascinating study demonstrates why Greater China is at once the most promising and the most problematic market that Hollywood has ever confronted.

Michael Curtin

Wang provides a thorough, scholarly investigation of distribution and piracy in the (very) contemporary filmmaking industry. The author's approach—involving in-depth interviews, field observations, and library and archival research—is exhaustive and precise. Recommended.

Choice Reviews

This book goes beyond being cutting edge; it begins to define an entire field of study—media distribution—that until now has been relegated to the margins or seen only as an area of interest to students of marketing or management.. .. I plan to use the book in my international communication courses.

Anandam Kavoori

Wang provides a thorough, scholarly investigation of distribution and piracy in the (very) contemporary filmmaking industry. The author's approach—involving in-depth interviews, field observations, and library and archival research—is exhaustive and precise. Recommended.

Choice

A deliciously concrete yet profoundly general account of how the media in Greater China sort out their paradoxes—as well as how they negotiate a globalizing and technological order that they had never known before.

Chin-Chuan Lee

The information presented in this book is very informative, fresh, and comprehensive, and the analysis provided by the author is important and thoughtful.. .. A significant contribution.

Junhao Hong

Shujen Wang provides a valuable range of contexts, both theoretical and practical....The great merit of this essay lies in its meticulous attention to detailing the link between global production and local distribution under globalism.

Journal Of International Communication - 2008

Wang's book is divided into two parts, offering what she calls 'contexts' (historical theoretical, politico-economic-technological), followed by detailed case studies on mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The book focuses on both legal and illegal film distribution.. .. This approach enables Wang to demonstrate the crucial relationships between global, national, regional, and local forces. For those interested in the political economy of the film industry in Greater China, this is a valuable pioneering work, offering a wealth of rich detail largely unavailable elsewhere.

The China Journal

Shujen Wang provides a valuable range of contexts, both theoretical and practical....The great merit of this essay lies in its meticulous attention to detailing the link between global production and local distribution under globalism.

Journal Of International Communication

Wang provides a thorough, scholarly investigation of distribution and piracy in the (very) contemporary filmmaking industry. The author's approach—involving in-depth interviews, field observations, and library and archival research—is exhaustive and precise. Recommended.

CHOICE