Damages over China TV text gaffe

By James Reynolds
BBC News, Beijing

In China a man who received thousands of text messages when his mobile phone number was accidentally used in a TV series has been awarded compensation.

Chen Bing's number had been read out slowly on a television series so another character could write it down.

His phone's inbox was then flooded with thousands of nuisance text messages from strangers starting in July 2004.

A court has ordered the television production company to pay Mr Chen more than $250 in damages.

'Puzzling messages'

There is often little privacy in China, but Chen Bing has experienced a bit more intrusion than most.

In July 2004 he started to receive a number of puzzling text messages on his mobile phone.

They kept on coming and Mr Chen could not work out why.

After a while the reason became clear.

His number had been used on a television series: Chinese Police September Storm - and not just in passing.

Because a main character had spoken the number slowly, curious viewers had plenty of time to note it down themselves and then text the number.

In the end, an increasingly infuriated Mr Chen had more than 3,000 texts in his in-box, but he has now won something for all the annoyance.

In awarding Mr Chen $250 in damages, the court said the television production company should have made sure the number was not in use.

It is not immediately clear whether or not Mr Chen has now decided to change his phone number.