Bad for quality films

Analysts said box office fraud, if allowed to spread, will frustrate the nation's filmmakers.

"Fraud is detrimental to the producers of quality films," said Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University. "Violators usually cheat on good films, including Hollywood blockbusters and good domestic films, both of which are gold mines for ticket sales."

Zhang added if the profits of quality films suffer, then the motivation to make good films would be stunted.

Zhang called for strengthened supervision over cinemas to prevent the market from being distorted.

Huang echoed Zhang's opinion. "If those who cheated on tickets sales are not exposed and punished, they will set bad examples for those who follow the rules," Huang said.

Noting that box office fraud was recurring, SAPPRFT published a circular in January to ban cinemas from manipulating viewing figures and other cinema-related fraud. Violators have been banned from screening new films.

However, Gao Jun, general manager of Guosheng Pictures in Beijing, said the violators should face more severe punishment.

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