Rich Fiscus
7 Nov 2007 23:49
Paramount is joining rival Warner Bros. in offering heavily discounted DVDs to Chinese consumers through Warner's established channels in an attempt to combat rampant piracy in that country. They're hoping that despite costing at least twice as much as a pirated copy, the DVDs will sell because people would rather buy legitimate goods.
Last year Time Warner, corporate parent of Warner Brothers, set up Warner China with China Film Group and Hengdian Group to sell movies for prices equivalent to around $1.50 just a few days after they're released in theaters. Since then Fox has also made plans for similar Chinese releases, but with prices closer to $3 per disc, which is also what Paramount plans to sell their DVDs for. As Fox's international home-entertainment manager Keith Feldman said last November, "It comes down to our ability as marketers to convince the Chinese consumer it's worth spending the money."
"We're committed to developing a legitimate market in China, and having two more Hollywood studios gives us more critical mass," Warner Bros. managing director of China distribution, Tony Vaughan, said in a news conference.
Source: Ars Technica