A few days ago, the Lanzhou Municipal People's Procuratorate and the Lanzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau jointly issued a notice to collect clues for the "8·17" film and television investment fraud case. It is hoped that people who were deceived in this case will bring relevant evidence and materials and report the case to the public security organs on February 29, 2024.
announced that in 2022, the Lanzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau detected a film and television investment fraud case headed by Li Moumou. The criminal gang carefully designed and arranged their words, packaged and used identities such as "lecturer" and "assistant", and used social software such as QQ and WeChat to They use the form of stock recommendations to attract investors to invest in stocks, and then exaggerate the film production costs and expected box office returns, leading investors to purchase the film's "profit share" to commit fraud. Only a small part of the fraudulent amount is used to pay the film producer to purchase the share, and the remaining The funds were used to implement fraudulent operations and personal squandering.
This case involves a total of 4 companies: Beijing Bammie Culture Media Co., Ltd., Zhongrui Taifeng (Beijing) Culture Communication Co., Ltd., Beijing China Film Xinyi International Film and Television Culture Media Co., Ltd., and Beijing Maifenshi Culture Media Co., Ltd.; involved 12 movies: "The Van Gogh Project", "The Monkey King: The Sky-Eating Monkey", "Mailu Man", "Rescue from the Raging Sea", "The Poet", "Desperate Rescue", "Oppa, You Are So Handsome", "The Ruffian Lover", "Money on the Road" "Love You with All My Heart" (renamed "Fist Mom" or "Punch Mom"), "Shanghai Shanghai" and "Luban Underground Palace".
According to Red Star News, on January 24, He Xiaodong, one of the police officers responsible for investigating the case, deputy director of the Chengguan Branch of the Lanzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, said that the case has entered the public prosecution stage and the purpose of issuing another notice is to find more information. Including as many victims as possible can also further complete the evidence. "Now we have found more than 2,100 victims, and the amounts defrauded range from hundreds of thousands to millions. The amount involved is currently more than 700 million yuan."
It is worth noting that the movie involved in the case There are many well-known actors in it. For example, "Mai Lu Ren" stars Aaron Kwok and Miriam Yeung, "Poet" stars Song Jia and Zhu Yawen, "Ruffian Lover" stars Shu Qi and Zhou Yiwei, and "Oppa You Are So Handsome" (has been renamed "Oppa") ) starring Wang Zhi, Jiang Wu, Ma Yili and others.
Movie involves fraud, are the stars jointly and severally liable?
According to China News Service, lawyer Chang Sha said that as a participant in a movie, whether celebrities should bear joint and several liability for the movie's alleged defrauding of investors is a complex issue that requires consideration of multiple factors.
First of all, it should be clear that the role of stars in film production is usually that of actors. Their duty is to perform, not to be responsible for the business and financial operations of the film. However, if a star is not only an actor, but also participates in the production, promotion or decision-making of a movie, and intentionally or negligently participates in fraud during the process, he or she needs to bear corresponding responsibilities.
Secondly, it is necessary to consider whether the star knew in advance that the movie was suspected of defrauding investors. If a celebrity is aware of the situation but fails to take any action or report it to the relevant agencies, they may be held jointly and severally liable. If the stars knew nothing about the situation, or had taken reasonable steps to understand the situation and confirm the legality of the film, then they may not be jointly and severally liable.
To sum up, whether celebrities should bear joint liability for the film’s alleged defrauding of investors needs to be judged based on the specific circumstances.
Chang Sha also said that if celebrities’ reputations are damaged due to the impact of their participation in investment fraud cases in movies, they can also take some measures to protect their rights and interests.
First of all, celebrities can hold relevant parties accountable through legal channels and require them to bear compensation for losses and mental damages caused by infringement.
Secondly, celebrities can also seek help from professional organizations, such as lawyers, public relations companies, etc., to better understand their rights and coping strategies.
In addition, celebrities can also clarify facts to the public through public statements to reduce negative impacts.
In short, if a celebrity's reputation is damaged due to their participation in a movie involving an investment fraud case, they can protect their rights and interests through a variety of ways.
Jiangsu Radio and Television General Station's Integrated Media News Center's column "New Review" also mentioned that the movie involves fraud, and whether the starring stars will be jointly and severally liable depends on the situation, but many investors are attracted by the box office appeal of the stars. The decision to invest depends on your strength. Therefore, it is also the responsibility of celebrities to actively cooperate with the public security organs, clarify the facts, and help solve the case and recover losses. Everyone should also be careful not to be tempted by high benefits at any time, not to be deceived by layers of tricks, and to step into the "irreversible" trap.
