Late last year a program called Masks, featuring guests talking about sex and relationships while wearing masks to protect their anonymity, was cancelled by the censors before it aired.
In April of this year, the online portal Sohu began webcasting a program titled Masks: True love stories narrated online, which also featured guests wearing masks and talking about sex. The three Sohu episodes produced to date are titled “How can I walk with him down this road of love,” “I’m not the slut you think I am,” and “Close contact.”
The production company for the original Masks, Shixi Media, sued Sohu for infringement, citing similarities in the programs’ names, set designs, and content. This includes the idea of using colorful masks rather than mosaics or blue dots to obscure the guests’ identities.
Sohu has already removed links to its Masks program from its Women’s Channel, but the pages themselves are still available, offering photos and transcripts. The video feed, unfortunately, does not seem to be working.