A court in China has ruled that a Chinese filmmaker must compensate a Japanese production company for infringing on its copyright by using the firm's "Ultraman" character.

Japan's Tsuburaya Productions sued a Guangzhou-based filmmaker in 2018 for producing and releasing a movie featuring the Japanese superhero without its permission. The studio demanded that distribution be stopped and sought compensation for damages.

Tsuburaya said a court in Shanghai acknowledged the copyright infringement on June 30. It noted the court ordered the Chinese filmmaker stop distributing the film and pay about 356,000 dollars in damages.

Tsuburaya said the ruling was in line with the basic principles of copyright law and it was a matter of course. The company added that it will continue to take a firm stance against any infringement of its rights in China.