China Central Television's website, CCTV.com, had filed a lawsuit against a Guangzhou-based Chinese website for broadcasting an Olympic torch relay leg live without permission, it was reported yesterday.

The Legal Daily said CCTV.com, run by CCTV International Networks Co Ltd, claimed in the suit that Shijilong Information Network Co Ltd, whose Web portal was 21cn.com, had broadcast the May 8 Olympic torch relay on Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak, live.

The plaintiff said the online broadcasting rights of CCTV's programs belonged to CCTV.com and any use of these contents without authorization was a copyright infringement.

"Shijilong's actions seriously infringed upon the rights and interests of CCTV.com and caused great economic losses to the plaintiff," the Chongqing Commercial Daily quoted CCTV.com's attorney Long Chao as saying.

The International Olympic Committee has recognized CCTV.com as China's only official Internet and mobile broadcaster of the Beijing Games.

Long said CCTV.com demanded the accused make a public apology and pay about 4.1 million yuan (US$597,667) in compensation. The Intermediate People's Court of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, had accepted the case.

However, a Shijilong official surnamed Xiao, reached by the Chongqing Commercial Daily, said his company had not received any notice either from the court or CCTV.com.

This is the second time CCTV.com has filed a lawsuit against a website for online Olympic video copyright infringement.

Earlier this month, CCTV.com filed a suit against xunlei.com, one of the country's largest download service providers. It accused xunlei.com of illegally broadcasting live the Olympic torch relay on June 30 in the Wuzhong leg in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

In that case, CCTV.com demanded the accused make a public apology and pay more than 2 million yuan (US$291,545) in compensation.

The case against xunlei.com will be handled by the Second Intermediate People's Court of Shanghai municipality.