Dispute-prone Internet firms favor litigation for settlement

Internet intellectual property is subject to frequent disputes, with some companies facing a surprising level of complaints and conflict, according to a recent study of alternatives in dispute resolution.

The report co-authored by an IP center at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Beijing Arbitration Commission found that 12 of 49 dotcoms surveyed had more than 100 IP disputes on average annually between 2011 and 2012, with video portals the most on the firing line.

Three of them faced more than 1,000 legal disputes each year.