LayarHijau.com – Youku’s recent announcement regarding the release of the short drama Hidden Love for You has drawn widespread attention and sparked legal controversy. The short drama is based on the popular novel Secretly, Can’t Hide, which was previously adapted into the 2023 hit series Hidden Love, starring Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan.
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Soon after the announcement, Jinjiang Literature City, the copyright holder of the original novel, issued an official statement on June 24, 2025, accusing Wajijiwa Entertainment, the production company, of breaching their contract and violating copyright.
According to Jinjiang, Wajijiwa only acquired the rights to produce a regular online drama, not a short-form adaptation. The contract reportedly included a clear clause prohibiting further adaptations into short dramas, making the production of Hidden Love for You a serious violation.
In response, Wajijiwa argued that the original contract did not specifically limit the episode length or format of “online dramas”, and therefore, short dramas should fall under the same category. They also claimed that the supplementary agreement only prohibited remakes of existing adaptations, not new adaptations directly based on the original novel.
Interestingly, prior to this dispute, Wajijiwa had also announced plans to produce a theatrical film adaptation of Hidden Love, launching open auditions for a new cast. This move suggested Wajijiwa’s intent to further expand the Secretly, Can’t Hide IP into other formats—something that should require additional licensing from Jinjiang.
According to a report by Sohu Entertainment, legal expert Zhao Hu from Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm explained that the original contract signed in 2019—when short dramas were not yet mainstream—may leave some room for interpretation. However, a 2024 supplementary agreement between the two parties clearly restricted adaptations to formats officially registered with broadcast authorities. Since short dramas had become an independent category by 2024, and were not included in the authorized scope, Wajijiwa is likely at a legal disadvantage.
If a court rules in favor of Jinjiang, Hidden Love for You may be pulled from streaming platforms, and Wajijiwa could face financial liability. The case serves as a critical reminder that adaptation rights must be clearly defined, especially as the industry evolves to include emerging formats like micro-short dramas.
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