Edison Chen photo scandal

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The affair dominated the front covers of gossip magazines in early February 2008
The affair dominated the front covers of gossip magazines in early February 2008

The Edison Chen photo scandal involved the illegal distribution over the Internet of intimate and private photographs of Hong Kong actor Edison Chen with various women, including actresses Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan, and Cecilia Cheung.[1] The scandal shook the Hong Kong entertainment industry in early 2008 and received high profile media attention locally and around the world. Many local newspapers relegated coverage of the 2008 Chinese winter storms to secondary prominence during Chinese New Year; Apple Daily headlined the story consecutively from 29 January to 18 February.

Despite enlisting the assistance of Interpol, the Hong Kong police were unable to stem the spread of the photographs.[2] As of 12 February 2008, ten people were arrested in connection with the distribution of the photographs.[3] The police crackdown raised questions over violations of the privacy and free speech rights of Internet users.[4] The manner in which actors, their management, and the police handled the situation, in turn, made those arrested into heroes and martyrs for some Internet users.[5]

On 21 February, Chen admitted being the author and copyright owner of most of the photographs. He stated that the private photographs had been stolen and published illegally without his consent. He made a public apology, especially to the female victims involved, and also announced that he would "step away indefinitely" from the Hong Kong entertainment industry.[6]

Contents

[edit] History

Elite Multimedia, the shop at the centre of the allegations
Elite Multimedia, the shop at the centre of the allegations

In November 2006, Chen purchased a pink PowerBook, whose photo he published on his blog. It may have come from eLite Multimedia, a computer shop in Hong Kong's Central district.[7] According to the police, Chen's "Cotton-candy Mac" computer was sent in for repairs, and an estimated 1,300 intimate photographs of Chen and numerous female celebrities may have been accessed and secretly copied by one or more of the shop's employees.[8][9]

Chen's photographs were reportedly made some time between 2003[10] and 2006.[11] One close friend indicated that Chen liked to take photographs during intimate moments with his sexual partners, of whom 14 were celebrities, and privately showed these to a select group of close friends.[12]

[edit] Exposure

The first photograph, depicting Chen and Gillian Chung, was posted on the Hong Kong Discuss Forum at approximately 8:30 p.m. on 27 January 2008. Although the original post was deleted after a few hours, some visitors forwarded the image to other major forums in Hong Kong such as Uwants and HKGolden. Chung's management agency, Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), immediately challenged its authenticity, and filed a police report.

At 3 p.m. the following day, a second explicit photograph of Chen, with Bobo Chan, appeared on the Internet. An emergency meeting was held at EEG that evening, after which the company declared that it would pursue the publisher of the image for this "irresponsible" and "malicious act". Gillian Chung was reportedly very distraught, had taken a leave of absence, and would not comment on the matter. Shaped by the denials, the initial media consensus was that the photographs had been manipulated.[13][14] The story became the headline of major local Hong Kong newspapers.

At 12:30 p.m. on 29 January, a higher resolution photograph appeared on the Internet. Journals noted the uncanny resemblance to Cecilia Cheung, noting her physical features and her distinctive tattoo set.[15] The photographs became the talk of the town, and local discussion forums became saturated as a result. A low-resolution sequence (photos 4 to 7) of Chen with Chung appeared at 3 p.m.; a nude photograph of Cecilia Cheung appeared at 6 p.m.[16] Journals established with known video footage that the photographs were taken inside Chen's residence.[17] Nevertheless, Cheung's solicitors denounced the upload as a "malicious, immoral and irresponsible act".[11] The police and photographic experts, who examined the images involving the first three female celebrities, said the photos were unlikely to have been composites.[18]

On 6 February, a forum user leaked hundreds more photographs in defiance of the police. The uploader, dubbed by the public as "Kira", with reference to the protagonist in the manga "Death Note",[19] stated he was not in Hong Kong, and promised to release a 32-minute video the next day.[20]

On 8 February, three pictures of a young woman showering appeared on the Internet. The subject was rapidly identified as 18-year-old Vincy Yeung (楊永晴), Edison's girlfriend and niece of Albert Yeung, chairman of EEG.[21] The police confirmed these three images were part of the batch of 1,300 photographs known to them. Having said there were only six participants, the police explained the appearance of a seventh, saying that her photographs had been erroneously grouped with one of the other females.

On 14 February, two new photographs surfaced. One photograph featured an unidentified woman fellating Edison, and another showed Rachel Ngan lying on a bed.[22]

[edit] Statistics

This table breaks down the photographs by subject:

Person Involved Names per source Photo count as of
10 Feb 2008[23]
Gillian Chung Yan-tung 鍾欣桐 104
Bobo Chan Man-woon 陳文媛 116
Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi 張栢芝 143
Rachel Ngan Wing-sze 顏穎思 11
Mandy Chen Yu-ju 陳育嬬 40
Candice Chan Si-wai 陳思慧 48
Vincy Yeung Wing-ching 楊永晴 3
Total 465

[edit] Bubbling under

On 26 February, as Chen entered his sixth consecutive day of police questioning, Sing Tao Daily revealed that a cache of computer disks and other storage devices containing in excess of 10,000 images were found from the search of Chen's residence. Five "new" celebrities were identified by police, who only referred to them as two television entertainers, a model whose career had moved overseas, and two singer-actresses,[24] of which one is from Taiwan.[25] Investigations were apparently hampered by Chen's caution, and by the lack of cooperation of the "new" female victims: some had left town, and one had already publicly denied her involvement.[24] Cecilia Cheung was also reportedly uncooperative.[25] While the police suspected hidden motives, Chen denied that he had been blackmailed.[24]

[edit] Police actions

[edit] Hong Kong

Declaration of non-involvement posted outside the Apple-authorized computer store next to Elite Multimedia
Declaration of non-involvement posted outside the Apple-authorized computer store next to Elite Multimedia

China News Service (CNS) reported that more than 100 police officers had been sent to investigate the case,[26] although Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vincent Wong Fook-chuen later declared that the investigating team consisted of 19 officers from the Commercial Crime Bureau.[27]

The Hong Kong police moved on all Internet service providers to stamp out all local traces of the as yet unclassified "offensive material". The police met with more than 200 people responsible for major Hong Kong Web sites and BBS communities to urge them to delete the pictures on appearance "as they have the responsibility to stop crimes". Related discussion threads were progressively deleted.[26] The police ordered several locally registered web sites and BBS management firms to submit information about their clients, and had retrieved the IP addresses of more than 30 Internet users who allegedly posted photographs.[26]

On 31 January 2008, an unemployed man identified as 29-year-old Chung Yik-tin (鍾亦天) was arrested for allegedly uploading one image;[28] 12 pictures were found on his computer. The next day he was arraigned but denied bail because he was suspected of blackmailing the actor and actresses. The case would reconvene eight weeks later,[29] and Chung Yik-tin was destined to spend Chinese New Year in detention. After investigating the connection between the suspect and artists, the police were satisfied that blackmail was not involved.[27][29]

On 2 February, police arrested four men and two women in connection with the distribution of the photographs. Of the six, three men and a woman were released on HK$20,000 bail and ordered to report back to the police in eight weeks.[30] The police revealed that during 2007, Edison Chen brought his computer to a shop for repairs. Employees who discovered over 1,300 intimate photographs may have secretly copied these files.[31]

On 4 February, a 29-year-old man became the eighth person to be detained in connection with the Internet posting of nude photos.[3] On the same day, 23-year-old Sze Ho-Chun (史可隽) was arrested and charged with "dishonest use of computers with criminal intent", which has a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. The man appeared in Eastern Court on 5 February,[32][27] where he denied the charge and was released on $50,000 bail. The case was adjourned to 22 February.[33]

Assistant Commissioner Wong said the source of the pictures had been traced, but he would not confirm reports stating that they had been taken from Chen's computer. He added that the authenticity of the photographs was no longer in question. Wong also said of the six women found in the photographs, four were local celebrities and two were unknown to the police. None of the women were named.[27] Wong was certain that no overseas artists were involved.[32] Ignoring copyright laws, he said that it was not a crime to transfer the pictures to friends, but those who had posted the images to Internet web pages could be in breach of the Hong Kong law. His statement has prompted some people to solicit for or send the picture files to their "friends" en masse by email.[27][32]

On 5 February, as another of the suspects was released on $50,000 bail, six more related photographs surfaced on the Internet.[33] In the early hours on Chinese New Year's eve, several hundred more photographs appeared on the Internet; there were two new faces.[34]

The police arrested a tenth person in connection with the case on 10 February. Kwok Chun-wai, a 24-year-old logistics clerk, was charged with distribution of pornography.[35] He had allegedly posted the link to a local discussion forum after uploading a compressed file containing over a hundred images to a site in Cyprus. Kwok was released on $10,000 bail and was required to report to the police three times a week.[36]

[edit] Mainland China

Web sites on the mainland are usually more sensitive to political issues than to pornography, and for several weeks major sites such as Baidu permitted the images to be disseminated.[37] During this time, photographs were also posted on the popular mainland China chat room, Tianya.com, and had been viewed nearly 20 million times a day.[38] Around 20 February however, mainland sites took action to prevent access to the photos.

A crackdown began in mainland China on the manufacturing, selling and spreading the CD-ROMs of the celebrity photos,[39] which sold "like hotcakes".[40] Police arrested 10 people suspected of the production in Shenzhen.[41]

On 21 February, police in Beijing announced it would act to stop the circulation of the photographs. Officials declared that showing the photos to friends or posting them on blogs or online forums, even without profit motive, could be punishable by detention for up to 15 days; transmission of more than 200 of the photos as a package on the internet would be met with criminal prosecution.[42]

[edit] Taiwan

A Taiwanese man aged 24, Huang Wei-lun, was arrested in Taipei county on suspicion of posting the explicit photos and videos in his blog and instructing net surfers how to download the images.[43] Police in Kaohsiung warned of the two-year penalty for selling pornographic CDs, and raided shops and arcades where discs of Edison photographs have been selling slowly, for TWD100. One observer remarked that young people did not buy discs as they can get the photographs easily from the internet.[44]

[edit] Legal issues

[edit] Freedom of speech

Copyright, which could have been a central issue, had been slighted. On 2 February, Commissioner of Police Tang King Shing warned that anyone with the pictures on their computer could be in breach of the law, even if there was no record of distribution. The Commissioner's remarks led to lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok Hung's immediate objection. Leung and about two dozen people protested outside police headquarters in Wan Chai, accusing the police of sowing confusion and creating an atmosphere of "white terror" among netizens. Leung urged Commissioner Tang to clarify whether merely keeping the pictures violated the law.[45]

[edit] Selective application of the law

The police's selectiveness in this case, as compared with previous cases of pornography distribution on the Internet, was also the focus of public attention.[46][47] Regina Ip said that police would commonly apply the law selectively, citing the difficulty of taking action against every person who had overstayed in Hong Kong.[48] Similarly, the local Chairman of the Internet Society said that it would not be practical for the police to ticket every traffic offender.[49]

[edit] Presumption of innocence

The denial of bail for Chung Yik-tin sparked controversy over the subjective application of the law. Legislator Ronny Tong accused the police of humiliating a suspect by their excessively hasty actions.[50] South China Morning Post (SCMP) columnist Tim Hamlett said the presumption of innocence was an issue.[51]

Commentary in the newspaper Ming Pao also remarked on the widespread outrage about the perceived selective application of legal principles – that a person charged with an apparently minor offense being denied bail whilst two others, unnamed, with allegedly heavier involvement in the spread of the photographs were allowed out on bail.[52] A commentary in Apple Daily decried the "clear intimidation of netizens" by the police, and referred to the "hypocrisy in law enforcement" for arresting people without bringing the alleged main source and victim (Edison) for interrogation.[53]

[edit] Definition of "obscenity"

While publishing an "obscene" (淫褻) article carries a maximum sentence of 3 years, an "indecent" (不雅) article only carries a maximum sentence of 12 months.[54] Ming Pao revealed on 14 February that it had received interim classification from the Obscene Articles Tribunal (OAT) relating to five photographs it had submitted for opinion. Three of these photographs were classified as "indecent" while two were considered "obscene". The only photograph which was in circulation on 27 January, allegedly posted by Chung Yik-tin, was "indecent". Thus, the journal raised the question that Chung may have been charged with a wrong offense. Also, the law applies only after OAT's classification. Since the police arrested and charged Chung before classification, some viewed the arrest as unlawful. An Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong questioned whether an amended charge of "Publishing an Indecent Article" applied to photographs uploaded onto the Internet.[50] At 3:30 p.m. on 15 February, Chung was unconditionally released from detention when charges against him were dropped.

[edit] Responses and apologies

After the exposure of the eighth photograph, Chen quietly left Hong Kong and flew to Boston to be with his girlfriend Vincy.[12]

[edit] Chen's first statement

On 4 February 2008, Chen released a 90-second video clip in English[55] in which he apologised to those who may have been affected by the posting of photographs. He did not comment on the authenticity of the photos.[32]

As of this evening, the police have made significant advances towards solving this malicious crime. As from the beginning I will continue to give the police my fullest cooperation to bring the perpetrators to justice. At this time I am not able to discuss matters related to the case, but I do feel it is my obligation to accept full responsibility and take action to help both the victims and those associated with them to heal their wounds. In this regard, I plead with everyone to please stop forwarding the images on the Internet. Furthermore, to completely rid the images from your computer. This is a small step that each one of us can take to help the innocent rebuild their lives. The priority now is for all of us to pitch in and help those in need.[56]

– Edison Chen, as posted to his blog

[edit] Chung's statement

Gillian Chung was the first starlet to make a public appearance when she greeted fans at a New Year celebration on 11 February 2008. After the meeting, she delivered a brief statement to the press in which she did not expressly state whether she was the subject of some of the photographs. Chung apologised for the hurt caused to those around her by her silliness and naivety, saying that she "had now grown up".[57][58][59] Emperor sought closure by stating that neither it nor any of its artists would be making any further statement about the incident.[57] The press conference drew mixed response from the media and the public – some praised her courage in facing the public while others complained of her insincerity and her refusal to face the issue squarely.[60] An Apple Daily commentary was particularly scathing about the hypocrisy of Chung and of her management company for only obliquely hinting at her "licentiousness".[53]

[edit] Chen's definitive statement

On 21 February, Edison returned to Hong Kong, and held a press conference during which he asked for forgiveness and announced his retirement from the Hong Kong entertainment industry. He declared his sincere regret at the harm he caused to the women involved, and their and his families.

... I would like to say sorry to all the people of Hong Kong. I give my apologies sincerely to you all, unreservedly and with my heart ... I know many young people in Hong Kong look up to many figures in society, and in this regard I failed as a role model.[61]

– Edison Chen, press conference, 21 February 2008

Chen confirmed that the photographs were indeed his, and that they were private; the photographs made public were obtained without his consent.[62] Through his lawyer, Chen asserted the photographs were protected by his property rights, and that reproduction whether in whole or in part without his consent would constitute copyright infringement.[6]

[edit] Repercussions

The initial group of protesters at Victoria Park, 10 February
The initial group of protesters at Victoria Park, 10 February

[edit] Police

On 3 February, approximately 20 people, led by Leung Kwok-hung, protested the abuse of power by the police.

A week later, on 10 February, protesters demonstrated against alleged "discriminatory" law enforcement against Internet users. The involvement of local celebrities led to complaints that the wave of arrests were indicative of a legal double standard.[63] Protesters claimed that the police failed to investigate other cases of nude photos being released without their subject's permission.[64]

Approximately 300 Internet users marched from Victoria Park to police headquarters in Wan Chai. They petitioned the police to apologize publicly, to release Chung Yik-tin, and to stop "an abuse of power".[65] They also demanded the resignation of Commissioner Tang.[66]

In the wake of the scandal, citizens also became more concerned about the integrity of the law, resulting in increased resentment towards the Hong Kong Police. In December 2007, Chief Inspector Cindy Kong's car was hit from behind by a truck,[67] but unusually she was allowed to drink water before being breathalysed.[66] One month later, businessman Peter Lam was acquitted of a speeding offense due to legal technicalities.[68] Citizens cited these examples in an attempt to show that, in Hong Kong, some were clearly more equal than others.[66]

The police were widely condemned for their handling of the case. In a survey published by the SCMP, some 48 percent of people surveyed believed the police had created unnecessary fear among the Internet community, and a similar percentage were dissatisfied with the police handling of the case. However, Assistant Commissioner Wong insisted that they had "not departed from normal practices" and had "acted correctly under the laws".[69]

[edit] International media attention

The news of the scandal has received international media attention, notably on CNN,[70] the Wall Street Journal,[71][72] the New York Times,[49] The Economist,[73] MSNBC,[74] the BBC,[75] The Guardian,[76] Le Figaro, Le Monde [77] and Der Spiegel.[78]

[edit] Chen

On 5 February 2008, Chen was pulled from the upcoming Stephen Fung movie Jump as a result of the scandal.[79] On 10 February 2008, it was reported that credit card company Manhattan Titanium has withdrawn all advertisements featuring Chen.[80]

Upon his return to Hong Kong on 21 February, a hundred police officers were present throughout the press conference at the HITEC centre, and some citizens complained about the waste of manpower. The police argued that their strong presence was essential to maintain public order due to the great public and media interest in the case.[81]

The triads reportedly offered a HK$500,000 reward to anybody who hacked off Edison Chen's hand.[82][83] This contributed to fears for Edison's safety upon his return, and heavy police protection.

The LA Times reported that Pepsi China, Standard Chartered Bank, Samsung, Levi's and the Hong Kong Metro, has dropped or declined to renew ad campaigns involving Chen.[84]

[edit] Chung

While Emperor declared that Gillian Chung was on sick leave, her fellow "Twin" Charlene Choi twice publicly denied rumours of suicide attempts by Chung - once was during the promotion of the film Kung Fu Dunk.[85] According to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, their music video for the celebration of the Chinese New Year would have featured Twins, but was dropped because of Chung's involvement in the controversy. A new video featuring other artists, Taiwanese boyband Fahrenheit was selected as a replacement.[86] Preparations for the Twins concerts in Hong Kong originally scheduled for 12–16 April were seriously affected, and the shows were postponed until September.[87]

Chung's appearance at a charity programme on 17 February met with around 2,100 complaints to the Broadcasting Authority, 373 to TVB, and 202 to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA).[88] On 21 February the Broadcasting Authority decided that the complaints were outside its jurisdiction to consider, and passed all the correspondence received to TVB.[89]

On 26 February 2008, the South China Morning Post, citing the Dalian Evening News, reported that Chung and Nicholas Tse (husband of Cecilia Cheung) would no longer perform at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Artistic Director, Zhang Yimou, dropped them for having been tainted by the nude photos scandal. Their management had no comment.[90]

[edit] Former female collaborators of Edison Chen

Jolin Tsai and Elva Hsiao have collaborated with Chen on various projects and are rumoured love interests of Chen. Some images of a Tsai lookalike have previously appeared. In an effort to contain the damage to their reputations, both issued statements through their agents that they had "never been involved with Chen". They each issued "rewards" of TWD100 million defying anyone to come forward with legally authenticated photographs,[91][92] and also threatened to seek full redress from any parties for "smears". Tsai urged the Hong Kong Police to publish a list of the persons involved, so that "innocents can be spared".[92]

[edit] Press

The scandal has shocked the general public and ignited debate about sexual morality.

The blanket coverage of the local press, their reporting style, and the appearance of photographs has also been met with public complaints to TELA.[36][48] TELA suspected that at least two journals violated the Obscene Articles Ordinance, and sent copies of issue #936 of Next Magazine and issue #531 of the Oriental Sunday magazine to the OAT for classification.[93] The Tribunal returned an interim classification of "Class I", meaning the magazines were "neither obscene nor indecent", and TELA demanded a full public hearing to review its decision.[94] The OAT, the method of selecting its adjudicators, and the Obscene Articles Ordinance, came under fire. It reportedly classified Michelangelo's "David" as "indecent" by adhering rigidly to a definition.[95]

[edit] Baidu

The images reached China mostly through an image-sharing service on Baidu (Tieba).[96] Beijing Network News Council (BNCC) held a meeting on 18 February to discuss the "romantic pictures", and criticised Baidu for spreading the pictures.[97]

Other web sites that actively discouraged the photo distribution, namely Sohu, Sina and Netease, were praised by BNCC.[96]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Patrick Frater (4 February 2008). "HK police arrest 7 more in celebrity porn scandal". Variety (Asia). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  2. ^ 網頁極速蔓延 淫照難盡剷 (Traditional Chinese). Wen Wei Po (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  3. ^ a b Eight now held in Internet sex probe. The Standard (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  4. ^ 一哥：藏裸照供發布可拉人 (Traditional Chinese). sina.com.hk (2008-02-03). Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  5. ^ 網民支持發照者 批警方偏袒 學者：網絡暴力作祟 (Traditional Chinese). Phoenix TV (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  6. ^ a b Nickkita Lau (22 February 2008). "Edison bows out on sorry note". The Standard. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
  7. ^ 涉及淫照风波的电脑店铺 常有男艺人光顾 (Simplified Chinese). 猫扑 (2008-02-05). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  8. ^ 陈冠希道歉　请求大家销毁不雅照片 (Simplified Chinese). 金羊网 (2008-02-06). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  9. ^ 店員炫耀淫照出事 (Traditional Chinese). Sing Pao Daily News (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  10. ^ 网上再现6张女艺人不雅照 (Simplified Chinese). Qingdao News (2008-02-06). Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
  11. ^ a b 网上再现6张女艺人不雅照 (Simplified Chinese). China Press (30 January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  12. ^ a b Chang May Choon (2 February 2008). Is this Cecilia?. The Electric New Paper (via Google cache). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
  13. ^ "Gillian Chung and Edison Chen 'racy photos' exposed", Apple Daily, 29 January 2008. (Traditional Chinese) 
  14. ^ "Edison Chen, Ah Giu, BoBo bedshots exposed", The Sun, 29 January 2008. (Traditional Chinese) 
  15. ^ Hong Kong stars slam nude photos. REDNET.CN (4 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
  16. ^ ""Racy photos scandal"", Apple Daily, 30 January 2008. 
  17. ^ 张柏芝卷入陈冠希艳照门 网上惊现疑似裸照 (Simplified Chinese). xinmin.cn (2008-01-30). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  18. ^ So Is This Joey Yung?. The Electric New Paper (3 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  19. ^ The name "Kira" is a reference to the main character in the manga Death Note, whose real identity is unknown to the public but whose continued vigilantist acts and defiance against the police were admired by certain members of the public.
  20. ^ 'Edison's Conquests' Sex Photos - Dozens More Leaked. batgwa.com (7 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
  21. ^ "Racy pictures scandal out of control - Vincy's involvement infuriates father" (艷照門”事件失控 楊永晴遭毒手楊受成大怒) (Traditional Chinese). Phoenix Television (via Sina.com) (8 February 2008).
  22. ^ Battle resumes after 5 day respite, Black-hand toys with Big Brother (休戰五日 再發床照 疑顏穎思 - 黑手明玩一哥) (Traditional Chinese). The Sun Daily (15 February 2008).
  23. ^ Racy photo's keep appearing, 460 more X-factor is increasing (阿嬌柏芝BoBo 床照不止 460張連環播淫褻升級) (Traditional Chinese). The Sun Daily (10 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
  24. ^ a b c Two new faces seen on new nude photos (新裸照驚見二铫女藝人) (Traditional Chinese). 'Sing Tao Daily' (27 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
  25. ^ a b Indecent photo turmoil continues, twelve victims identified (不雅照事件風波不斷 相關受害女星至少12人). Sina.com (26 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
  26. ^ a b c Lydia Chen (31 January 2008). Alleged HK celebrity sex photos create a stir. Shanghai Daily. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  27. ^ a b c d e "(Entire front page)", Sing Pao Daily News, 2008-02-05. (Traditional Chinese) 
  28. ^ Michael Chugani. ""Public Eye" -Porn pictures: the big unanswered question ...", South China Morning Post, 6 February 2008. 
  29. ^ a b Suspect arrested in Internet nude photo escapade. The Standard (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  30. ^ 'Edison's Conquests' Sex Photos - Hundreds More Images Seized. batgwa.com (2 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  31. ^ 'Edison's Conquests' Sex Photos - Computer Shop Searched. batgwa.com (3 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  32. ^ a b c d Star apologizes to six artistes in 1,300 racy Internet photos. The Standard (2008-02-05). Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
  33. ^ a b Accused bailed as more racy photos surface. The Standard (6 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  34. ^ Update: Edison Chen has sex pictures. The Blemish (30 January 2008).
  35. ^ One more arrest amidst continuing rapid spread of artistes' racy photos (艺人不雅照网络急速传播 又一网民发放被捕). Sina.com (12 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  36. ^ a b Damon Pang & Nikkita Lau (13 February 2008). Suspect granted bail as Edison's return imminent. The Standard.
  37. ^ "Netizens move to mainland as discussions killed off", Oriental Daily, 1 February 2008. 
  38. ^ World soaks up the scandal. South China Morning Post (22 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-22. (non-free source)
  39. ^ "Sex photos a hot buy in Guangzhou", China Daily, HK Edition, 22 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  40. ^ Sex photos sell like hot cakes in Shenzhen. South China Morning Post (21 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-21. (non-free)
  41. ^ China police apprehend 10 people over HK nude celebrity photos. Xinhua (20 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
  42. ^ "Beijing draws line as Taiwanese crack down", The Standard, 22 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  43. ^ Taiwan man nabbed over HK celebrity nude photos. Google news. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
  44. ^ DVD店賣陳冠希淫照光碟　生意差僅售出7張 (Traditional Chinese). ET Today (24 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
  45. ^ Longhair protests the Hong Kong Police Department for abusing the power to arrest 4 Hong Kong residents for forwarding the photos (抗議警方濫捕4名網民!) (Traditional Chinese "混淆視聽轉、轉移視線，製造網上恐怖氣氛"). Leung Kwok Hung (3 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
  46. ^ "星期六問責: 鄧竟成訪問", Radio Television Hong Kong, 3 February 2008. (Traditional Chinese) 
  47. ^ "香港警方稱藏淫照也有罪 明星獲偏袒引爭議", Sina Beijing, 3 February 2008. (Chinese) 
  48. ^ a b Lam treats scandal with kid gloves. The Standard (15 February 2008).
  49. ^ a b Bradsher, Keith (13 February 2008). Internet Sex Video Case Stirs Free-Speech Issues in Hong Kong. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
  50. ^ a b "Five photos assessed: 3 "indecent", 2 "obscene" (5裸照評級3 不雅2淫褻", 14 February 2008. (Traditional Chinese) 
  51. ^ "Tim Hamlett's Hong Kong", South China Morning Post, 6 February 2008. 
  52. ^ Legal bias in stars' nude photo incident (藝人裸照案 執法司法都有偏差) (Traditional Chinese). Ming Pao (13 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  53. ^ a b The Biggest Lesson of "Sex Photos Gate" is the Exposure of Hypocrisy. Apple Daily via Zona Europa (12 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-15. Original article (Chinese)
  54. ^ Cap 390 s21: Prohibition on publishing obscene articles, Hong Kong Government, 7 July 2000, <http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/fb2d3fd8a4e2a3264825647c0030a9e1/79907874e5816c32c825648300294683?OpenDocument> 
  55. ^ Edison Chen 陳冠希 talks about photo scandal. YouTube (4 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
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  57. ^ a b Damon Pang (12 February 2008). "Twins star apologizes to her fans". The Standard.
  58. ^ Naive and silly old me (阿嬌：以前很天真及傻) (Traditional Chinese). Ming Pao (11 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
  59. ^ 「... 今次這件事，對我同身邊的人，都造成了好大的困擾同傷害(停頓數秒)。我承認以前係好天真同好傻，但係現在已經長大了。好多謝公司、多謝家人，及多謝朋友的眷顧及支持；今次這件事，對於社會帶來了好大的影響，我都深感抱歉，在未來日子裏，我會繼續努力工作，同積極面對我的人生。多謝傳媒的關心，以及要多謝一班對我不離不棄的fans，多謝。」
    (English translation: "... This incident has caused a lot of turmoil and harm to me and people around me. I admit that I was so naive and silly in the past, but now I have grown up. I thank my company, my family and my friends for their blessing and support. This incident has caused a lot of [negative] effects to the society which I deeply regret. In the future, I will continue to work hard, and face my life positively. Thank the media for their care. Also, I want to thank my loyal fans for their relentless support. Thank you."I was So Silly, So Naive (Traditional Chinese). Ming Pao (12 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
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  67. ^ Truck hits chief inspector's car, toll booth. The Standard (27 December 2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
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  81. ^ Edison Legislators and public viciously criticise waste of police manpower (議員市民狠批浪費警力) (Traditional Chinese). Apple Daily (22 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
  82. ^ Edison Reward: $91,000 for Edison's hand. Asiaone (19 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
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