The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has struck a deal with the popular Google-backed Chinese-language video and music file-sharing firm Xunlei to boost legitimate access to film and TV shows online.

Xunlei, which was sued in 2008 by the Hollywood studios for film piracy, and the MPAA have entered into a comprehensive Content Protection Agreement (CPA) to protect film and television content online, and to educate users on how best to access only legal versions of movies and TV shows, the MPAA said in a statement.

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“The steps are aimed to counter the suspected mass infringement of MPAA member studios titles on Xunlei’s services,” the statement ran.

Under the CPA, Xunlei has agreed to implement a comprehensive system of measures to prevent unauthorized downloading of MPAA member company copyrighted works.

The measures include implementing an established content-recognition technology system that will ensure that the MPAA members' copyrighted content available through Xunlei’s services is properly licensed.

“With the largest number of Internet users in the world, the Chinese market offers tremendous potential for content creators to make their works available online to hundreds of millions of consumers,” said Steven Fabrizio, the MPAA’s senior executive vice president and global general counsel.

“This agreement is an important step forward in carrying out the MPAA’s mission in this significant market,” he said.

Going forward, Xunlei and the MPAA will cooperate to ensure the content protection measures are effective and will also implement education measures to inform users of the damage caused by illegal downloads and piracy.