Six major US moviemakers won a lawsuit Friday against a Shanghai-based company that violated their intellectual property rights by pirating DVDs of their products.

The Shanghai Second Intermediate People's Court ordered Dikai Audio-Visual Co., Ltd. to pay 158,000 yuan (US$20,000) in compensation to the companies.

It also has to pay a 50,000-yuan (US$6,400) fine for selling the pirated DVDs of movies.

Dikai was found selling DVDs of movies made by Paramount, Columbia, New Line Studios, 20th Century-Fox, Universal City Studios and Walt Disney Pictures without the authorization of the companies.

The six US companies asked the company to pay 1.47 million yuan (US$187,000) in compensation and make a public apology in the Xinmin Evening, a local daily newspaper with a large circulation.

The company has made no comment on whether it will appeal the ruling.

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2006)