Talpa wins case over The Voice in China, crackdown on international formats.

Dutch production giant Talpa Media has won a court case over an adaptation of The Voice in China, with a Beijing court ordering Chinese producers to use a different name for their show.

Shanghai-based Star China Media produced The Voice of China for four seasons licensed through Talpa before a collaboration expired in January.

Talpa subsequently signed a contract with another Chinese production company, Zhejiang Tangde, to produce seasons five to eight, but Star China is due to launch a new season next month known as 2016 The Voice of China -which it has already cast.

But the Beijing Intellectual Property Court ruled this week that Star China Media must “immediately cease using the name The Voice of China in all publicity, promotions, auditions and advertisements for its singing competition talent show.”

However it did not rule that the show must end.

Star China Media claimed Talpa had terminated their contract unilaterally after demanding the company pay a “sky-high fee … hundreds of times more” than its initial licensing fee of more than 2 million yuan ($A409k) four years ago. Talpa denied the accusation, and accused Star China of preparing a fifth season without a legal contract.

If Star’s new show uses intellectual property from The Voice such as rotating chairs or a similar logo Talpa has warned of further legal steps.

The news comes just days after Chinese regulators imposed stricter limits on adaptions of foreign shows.

According to the regulator’s edict, “only independent, innovative programs with Chinese cultural genes, characteristics and style can sustain themes of the Chinese dream, core socialist values, patriotism and outstanding Chinese cultural traditions.”

Source: South China Morning Post