5 Piracy, Internet Culture, and the Early Online Video Industry

In early 2006, a video spoof titled "A Murder Caused by a Steamed Bun" (Yige mantou yinfa de xue'an) went viral on the Chinese internet, traveling widely online as a downloadable file through forums, e-mails, and instant messenger (IM) programs. In the same year, numerous YouTube-like video-sharing websites came into public view, carrying a growing number of video spoofs and other works created and uploaded by internet users. These platforms were also used to share a vast number of pirated videos from physical and digital environments. Much of this content came from fansubbing communities.