In an effort to significantly reduce piracy rates within its region, the Chinese Government will launch a state-owned video streaming service, TARA TV, which will provide viewers a legal and cost-effective way to access digital content without violating copyright laws.
Tech provider TV2U will enable the cloud platform along with Stereoscope Cloud and Vector International. Once launched, TV2U will serve local Chinese digital content to subscribers outside the country, and promises to deliver local and Chinese-language videos to nationals overseas.
Vector International will also present a loyalty scheme to TARA TV consumers as an incentive for using a state-owned platform instead of turning to illegal downloading and streaming. Like traditional retail loyalty schemes, users can earn points by shopping online or interacting with advertisements. The points are redeemable against pay-per-view premium content and other digital goods provided by the platform.
TV2U CEO Nick Fitzgerald explains:
“Piracy has been a huge deterrent for Hollywood content in China, despite the fact it’s a significant global market. But with TARA TV you can trace the legality of any broadcast stream and identify exactly when and where a device is accessing the network. If a copyright breach or unauthorized connection is suspected that user can be cut off immediately, making TARA TV a powerful tool for cracking down on piracy.”
TARA TV is expected to be available before 2015 ends.