A Chinese movie download Web site has sued a Hollywood industry group for libel over a statement that it says implies that the company admitted to piracy as part of a legal settlement. Beijing Jeboo Interactive Science & Technology Co. filed the lawsuit against the Motion Picture Association in a Beijing court last week, company official Xie Jiangping told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. An MPA official didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

The libel lawsuit stems from a previous lawsuit Hollywood studios filed against Jeboo.

Five studios sued Jeboo in Shanghai in September and December for supplying Internet cafes with computer software that allowed users to download and watch illegal copies of 20 Hollywood movies, including "Hitch" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest."

MPA said in a statement earlier this month the five studios reached an agreement with Jeboo. The Hollywood studios involved are Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures.

The statement says the defendants "confirmed the cessation of infringing activities," apologized and paid a "significant" amount of compensation.

Xie said the terms of the deal were confidential but said Jeboo never admitted to piracy.

"We cannot tolerate statements that don't reflect the truth," he said.

Jeboo claims to be China's largest distributor of non-pirated digital entertainment video.

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On the Net:

http://www.jeboo.com

http://www.mpa-i.org

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