Hollywood's piracy in China: A case of US public diplomacy in the globalization age?

Author:

• Paolo Sigismondi (Univ of Southern California)

Abstract:

The essay identifies the phenomenon of Hollywood piracy in China as an agent of American expansion in the region, amplifying the distribution of US popular culture artifacts. This unconventional public diplomacy occurrence thrives outside the control of central governments, driven by transnational profit oriented entities, both legal (Hollywood studios) producing and distributing entertainment content and illegal (counterfeiters) amplifying uncensored distribution through piracy.