Watson & Band is proud to announce that a commercial dispute successfully represented by our team has been selected as a "Typical Case" by the Shanghai Jing'an District People's Court.

The case was highlighted during the court’s recent press conference on "Judicial Support for the Shanghai International Science and Technology Innovation Center." Out of six selected cases, the dispute handled by Watson & Band was featured as Case No. 2, recognized for establishing clear legal standards in the emerging Ultra-High Definition (UHD) and Virtual Technology sectors.

• The Dispute: Defining Deliverables in Motion Capture

The case involved a Technical Service Contract dispute between a media company (the Plaintiff, represented by Watson & Band) and an information technology firm.

The agreement required the Plaintiff to provide motion capture services. After the Plaintiff delivered the finalized video files (.mov format) as specified in the contract, the Defendant refused payment, arguing that the Plaintiff failed to provide the raw source data (such as facial expression data).

• The Strategy & Verdict

Watson & Band attorneys Xia Jing and Wang Wenyan successfully argued that the contract’s terms were explicit. They demonstrated that:

The contract and price quote specifically listed .mov files as the deliverable.

The agreed price corresponded to the finished video product, not the raw underlying data.

The Defendant failed to prove that handing over raw source data is an "industry custom."

The Court ruled in favor of Watson & Band’s client, ordering the Defendant to pay all outstanding service fees, legal fees, and penalties.

• Setting Precedents for the Digital Economy

The Jing'an District Court selected this case as a model for the industry because it addresses a common friction point in the "New Economy": the intangibility of virtual technology services.

The ruling clarifies that in emerging fields like motion capture—where industry customs are not yet fully standardized—strict adherence to written contractual terms regarding deliverables is paramount. This decision provides legal certainty for companies operating in Shanghai’s booming UHD audio-visual, gaming, and film production sectors.

• Lawyer Profiles

Xia Jing 

Senior Lawyer 

Practice Areas: Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution, Culture & Entertainment

Email: jing.xia@watsonband.com 

Wang Wenyan 

Lawyer 

Practice Areas: Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution

Email: wenyan.wang@watsonband.com