On November 12, "Zhao Liying sues Hongguo Short Drama" trended on social media. Recently, Qichacha platform showed that Beijing Bimo Liuxiang Technology Co., Ltd. added a court hearing announcement, with the case involving a portrait rights dispute. The plaintiff is Zhao Liying, and the defendants are Beijing Douyin Information Service Co., Ltd., Beijing Bimo Liuxiang Technology Co., Ltd., and a certain Shi. The hearing court is the Yunting Court of the Mentougou District People's Court in Beijing, with the hearing scheduled for November 10, 2026.
Case details show that Zhao Liying is requesting the court to order the short drama platform to stop producing and selling the infringing products involved, fully cease all infringing activities, and publicly apologize, while also demanding compensation for economic losses and reasonable legal expenses totaling 810,000 yuan. It is worth noting that this is merely the tip of the iceberg regarding infringement by short drama platforms. According to public reports and judicial cases, this platform has already been involved in multiple instances of unauthorized use of celebrity portraits.
Deng Wei: A male character in the short drama "Luring the Emperor" bears a strong resemblance to Deng Wei, and some scenes sparked controversy due to their suggestive nature. On April 6, 2026, actor Deng Wei's studio issued a solemn statement through its official Weibo account to defend his rights.
Jackson Yee: On April 4, 2026, his AI face-swapped image appeared in short dramas such as "Midnight Bus: She's Super Fierce at Catching Ghosts!" and gained astonishing popularity. The studio issued an urgent statement in the early hours of the following day to defend his rights, and the relevant short dramas were subsequently taken down.
Yang Zi: On March 20, 2026, her image was used in "After Rebirth, I Became My Mother's Guardian Deity." The studio issued a statement the same day and entrusted lawyers to collect evidence.
The portraits of multiple other artists including Xiao Zhan and Cheng Yi were also used by the platform in similar ways without authorization, prompting joint protests from fan groups. When confronted with infringement allegations, platform customer service once responded that "AI short dramas are a new genre, and there may be incomplete review processes," but this explanation failed to quell public criticism of major flaws in its review mechanisms.
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