More cinemas suspended for box office fraud

Seven Chinese cinemas have been banned from screening new movies due to cheating on box office figures, two Chinese film associations announced on Monday.

The cinemas were found to have used a "dual software system" to sell film tickets without registering the real box office gains to a uniform system, according to a statement issued by the China Film Producers' Association and the China Film Distribution and Exhibition Association.

Such conduct supposedly aims to avoid lawfully sharing box office earnings with filmmakers and other relevant parties.

The cinemas will be punished with suspension of new movie screenings for an unspecified duration until the two semi-official industrial organizations and film authorities decide to lift the ban, according to the statement.

Another cinema was found to have reported falsified box office figures and three others were punished for screening unlicensed movies.

Their punishments will include suspension of favorable financial policy eligibility.

Monday's suspension is the second of its kind this year after the two associations decided to suspend new film screenings at nine cinemas for box office fraud in February.

A circular published in January by the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, China's movie watchdog, banned cinemas from manipulating viewing figures and other cinema-related fraud, urging inspectors to routinely audit cinemas and report misconduct.