In December 2013, Chongqing Wulong Karst tourism (Group) Co., Ltd., signed the Cooperation agreement on implantation of Wulong into Transformers: Age of Extinction with the 1905 Internet Technology Co., LTD.(China), the co-organizer of Transformers: Age of Extinction by Paramount Pictures. In the agreement, the film was to conspicuously present Wulong, China, in Chinese, in way of scutcheon when filming Transformers: Age of Extinction.
When at the premiere of Transformers: Age of Extinction, June 2014, Wulong found nothing about scutcheon presentation of Wulong, in Chinese, which meant that the agreement was not implemented. In Transformers: Age of Extinction, Optimus Prime was thrown to a valley where he tamed the robotic dinosaurs, and then came back to the main battlefield in Hong Kong Victoria Harbor. The valley is Tiankeng Scenic Area in Wulong. Without the scutcheon presentation of Wulong in Chinese, no one can tell where the place is.
July 2014, Wulong Scenic Area instituted legal proceedings against Paramount Pictures and 1905 Internet Technology Co., LTD. (China) in Chongqing third intermediate people’s court, and asked for compensation of more than 20 million RMB.
Chongqing third intermediate people’s court tried the case on April 26, 2016. The defendant said they admitted the mistake but only in the global release version, and the implantation was just part of the agreement, and in DVD version, TV and digital play platform, timely remediation of scutcheon presentation of Wulong in Chinese was added to the film. The defendant insisted that there was no breach of contract, and the accuser had no basis in claim for compensation. And 1905 Internet Technology Co., LTD. (China) counterclaimed that the accuser should pay for final payment and late fees of 12.4 million RMB.
In written judgment by the first trial, the court judged that as follows: 1. Paramount Pictures and 1905 Internet Technology Co., LTD. (China) co-compensated Chongqing Wulong Karst tourism (Group) Co., Ltd. 2 million RMB for loss and Litigation expenses in 15 days. 2. Other litigation requests of Chongqing Wulong Karst tourism (Group) Co., Ltd. were rejected. 3. The counterclaim of 1905 Internet Technology Co., LTD. (China) was rejected.
Senior figures pointed it out that Chongqing Wulong Karst tourism (Group) Co., Ltd. won the lawsuit that provided experiences and references for transnational film implantation.
There is no latest news for the case.
As the Chinese box office advance triumphantly, more and more overseas film companies come to China for scene shooting and cooperation, and want to have a finger in the pie. However, overseas film companies should treat their home and abroad partners impartially and pragmatically.