TikTok and Shopify sign E-commerce Deal, Sony Pictures Entertainment Merges Film and Television Divisions, LG Electronics Launches Streaming Platform, Spotify reports surge in Subscriptions for Q3, Andhra Pradesh Govt. asks Centre to ban several Betting Apps and Websites, Reliance Jio Launches Online Gaming Competition and PUBG Mobile Officially Suspends Services in India.
TikTok and Shopify sign E-commerce Deal
The short-form video app TikTok, has recently signed a deal with Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce platform, to allow merchants to create “shoppable” video ads that drive customers to online stores. Shopify stated that, after its merchants select the product which they would like to promote, video ads will be automatically generated that could show up in a TikTok user’s video feed and drive customers to Shopify for checkout.
TikTok was also in the process of striking a deal with retail giant, Walmart, which has currently been paused due to the new deal with Shopify.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Merges Film and Television Divisions
The American entertainment company, Sony Pictures Entertainment is merging its domestic film and TV marketing divisions under one umbrella. Sony was compelled to merge the two divisions due to the coronavirus pandemic, as a result of which 35 (thirty-five) of its employees had to be laid off.
As per the new structure, the centralized marketing group will be run by the global theatrical marketing co-heads alongside the head of global multichannel distribution marketing. All the three heads will report jointly to the motion picture group president and to the president of networks and distribution at Sony Pictures Television.
LG Electronics Launches Streaming Platform
LG Electronics, the South Korean electronics company, has recently launched its own streaming platform to showcase its high-end Smart TVs. This channel is called Fear of Missing OLED and will stream original content from Lady Gaga and Balmain, which will include behind-the-scenes content and commentary from the recent Paris Fashion Show event for fashion house Balmain. The channel’s exclusive content will run on an app from the LG Content Store, and runs on the company’s Smart TVs for free.
The company also announced that all future partnerships will feature content from “across all entertainment categories, including art, sports, and music.”
Spotify reports surge in Subscriptions for Q3
The music streaming platform Spotify, has reported an increase in the number of subscribers, for the third quarter and which continues to grow in the current quarter after the music streaming platform has expanded its services into more regions and markets.
Spotify had earlier reported a large drop in the number of subscribers, during the early days of COVID-19. However, the music streaming platform has successfully recovered from the previous loss of subscribers, by expanding rapidly in markets across Europe and most recently in Russia, after launching in India and the Middle East last year.
Andhra Pradesh Govt. asks Centre to ban several Betting Apps and Websites
The Andhra Pradesh Government has banned online gaming, online betting and gambling in the state. Additionally, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has also asked the Central Government to block access to 132 websites and apps, including Paytm First Game, Mobile Premier League and Adda52, that are providing such services in the state. This ban in the state was followed by a letter written by the state’s Chief Minister to the IT and Telecom minister which “raised concern over online gaming and online betting fast catching up as a severe social evil leading to youth getting involved in vices like gambling and betting from the comfort of their homes through their mobile phones and computers.”
The letter to the IT and Telecom minister also mentioned that the state has amended the AP Gaming Act 1974 “to include online gaming, online gambling and online betting as an offence through Andhra Pradesh (Amendment) ordinance 2020” and notified it on September 25, 2020.
Reliance Jio Launches Online Gaming Competition
Reliance Jio will be hosting the JioMart Gameathon Free Fire esports, which is a free to participate tournament, will be held for 576 teams in four rounds, with prize pool of INR 25,000.
Jio noted that being a part of a team is a prerequisite and that teams have to be registered on the JioGames portal.
PUBG Mobile Officially Suspends Services in India
The popular game PUBG mobile had been banned in India by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, during the month of September. The PUBG Corporation had tried multiple times to get the ban lifted and resume its services and access to the users. However, after several unsuccessful attempts to do so, PUBG Corporation announced that it will be terminating all service and access to users in India.
Following this ban, the rights of the PUBG Mobile brand will be returned to the owners of the intellectual property and Tencent Games will no longer have rights to the franchise in India.
Authored and compiled by Neharika Vhatkar (Associate, BananaIP Counsels)
The Licensing and E-Commerce News Bulletin is brought to you jointly by the E-Commerce Law and Consulting/Strategy Divisions of BananaIP Counsels, a Top IP Firm in India. If you have any questions, or need any clarifications, please write to contact@bananaip.com with the subject: eCommerce News.
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