MUMBAI: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) will be establishing a representative office in China and has entered into an exclusive agreement with China’s largest video distributor, Zoke Culture Group (Zoke).

Marking a milestone for the studio, TCFHE launches an in-country business — with Zoke as its exclusive partner — to supply China’s growing home entertainment market with legitimate product including recent theatrical releases and celebrated titles from the studio’s library. With a commitment to shortened release windows, TCFHE will begin releasing its first wave of DVD and VCD titles this month, led by blockbuster hits Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, Ice Age: The Meltdown and X-Men: The Last Stand.

TCFHE worldwide president Mike Dunn said, “China is a very important component of Fox’s future business and our goal is to preserve the integrity of our movies, while offering Chinese consumers first-rate packaged entertainment that is authentic, affordable and quickly accessible. Zoke’s entrepreneurial spirit and unmatched distribution capability make them a perfect partner for us as we solidify our presence in this emerging marketplace.”

Zoke president and chairman Guo Zilong added, “Zoke’s leading distribution platform, combined with Twentieth Century Fox’s rich entertainment content, will make us powerful partners in China’s home video market. The partnership enables us to meet growing consumer demand for international entertainment content, while simultaneously supporting efforts to reduce piracy and enhance consumer satisfaction.”

The announcement follows the recent conclusion of the “100 Day Campaign Against Piracy” convened by 10 Chinese ministries and national departments, including the Ministry of Public Security, State Administration of Press and Publication, National Copyright Administration and Ministry of Culture to foster a viable, legitimate home entertainment business in China.

“The distribution agreement between Fox and Zoke is an important symbol of the stake both China and the US have in seeing intellectual property rights vigorously enforced in China,” said US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who is in China on a business development mission and witnessed the signing.

“This partnership is a great example of the growing market for legitimate films in China and why American and Chinese products deserve IPR protection. The Chinese government has moved forward in a number of areas on protecting intellectual property rights, and we look forward to continuing to work together in making further progress on these challenges,” he added.