Hongguo Short Drama Governance Announcement: 1,718 illegal manga dramas taken down in the first quarter

On April 6, Hongguo Short Plays released a notice titled “Announcement on Continuing to Govern Violations in the Unauthorized Use of AI Short-Drama Materials” (hereinafter referred to as the “Announcement”). The “Announcement” shows that in the first quarter of this year, the platform has cumulatively taken down 1,718 manhua dramas that violate the platform’s content governance rules. In response to the frequent recent issues involving the improper use of AI short-drama materials, the platform carried out special centralized governance. So far, it has completed a comprehensive review of 15k works, handled 670 non-compliant works in accordance with regulations, and exposed four categories of typical cases.

The “Announcement” makes clear that content compliance is Hongguo Short Plays’ consistent requirement for producers. To standardize the creation order of AI short dramas and protect original and lawful rights and interests, the platform firmly crack down on behaviors such as the improper use of AI short-drama materials and unauthorized misappropriation, and continues to carry out full-dimensional content governance.

This announcement specifically exposes four categories of typical violations: first, the unauthorized use of cartoon character images widely known to the public; related works were removed because they could not provide proof of legal authorization. Second, the improper use of AI brand images and trademark identifiers; for the involved series, content from both seasons was taken down. Third, the theft of game original character image likenesses; works that are highly similar in terms of character design and other aspects were removed in accordance with regulations. Fourth, AI-generated content impersonating actors’ images; the platform handled the matter because compliant authorization had not been obtained.