Industry Obs.
July 25, 2025 — The tornado around copyright in the growing upright short-drama sector has intensified.
The dispute initially broke when Dianzhong Innovation (the firm of DramaBox App) issued a statement on its official WeChat account, accusing Crazy Maple Studio, Inc. with its short-drama platform ReelShort of publishing and dispersing several series “virtually identical” to Dianzhong’s copyrighted works without authorization
The affirmed infringing titles include (but are not limited to):
Leaving, and Both Childhood Sweethearts Regretted It to Insanity , The Queen , Respecting the Elderly and Taking Care Of the Youthful , and The Wanderer Returns Home
Adhering to Dianzhong’s statement, more market leaders spoke out. Ting Huadao and Malt Short Drama, 2 of China’s most famous short-drama studios, launched their own strongly worded declarations, charging ReelShort of “significant and repetitive plagiarism” and asking for stronger copyright security throughout the field.
What goes to Risk
Ting Huadao asserts that two of its hit IP dramas, The Vegetable Supplier Turns Out to Be the Lady and The Cold Uncle Spoils His Sister-in-Law Endlessly , were copied scene-for-scene by ReelShort titles The Seamstress Is The Duchess and Mated to My Brother-in-Law Alpha
Malt Short Drama also reported comparable problems, including even more weight to what now seems an industry-wide backlash against ReelShort.
ReelShort, run by Maple Fallen Leave Interactive , is widely acknowledged as the leading system for exporting Chinese brief dramas overseas , which makes these accusations all the more stunning.
Why This Instance Matters
For years, China’s material sector has been slammed for weak copyright enforcement, however this wave of statements notes a turning factor.
Dianzhong’s first declaration lit the fuse , and now other leading workshops are speaking up, publicly requiring liability instead of clearing up conflicts quietly.
Honestly, this is motivating to see It indicates that copyright isn’t just a lawful checkbox any longer, it’s becoming part of the market’s worths and public discussion.
The Bigger Photo
Ironically, Crazy Maple Workshop, Inc.’s moms and dad company, Chinese Online (COL) , is an establishing participant of the China Copyright Association’s Micro-Drama Board.
“The sector’s # 1 business should additionally be # 1 in principles– not # 1 in plagiarism,” Ting Huadao wrote in its own declaration.
Meanwhile, regulators have been releasing new guidelines emphasizing IP protection in upright mini-dramas, making ReelShort’s alleged habits a lot more questionable.
It began with one workshop speaking up (Dianzhong) Then others adhered to (Ting Huadao, Malt, and much more) And now, the conversation isn’t almost ReelShort, it has to do with where the short-drama sector is heading.