How a 90s Programmer Earned 7 Million Yuan with Illegal Video‑Repost Software and Got Sentenced

According to CCTV’s “Today’s Law” program, a 90‑born programmer created an illegal video‑repost tool that, within less than a year, earned more than 7 million yuan before being sentenced.

The short‑video platform reported that a black‑market app allowed users to bypass its review system, directly stealing and publishing others’ works.

Police investigations in Taizhou, Zhejiang uncovered a criminal supply chain: upstream developers altered platform code to evade moderation, while downstream sellers marketed the tool.

Core Features and Business Model

The software performs video mirroring, watermark removal, draft replacement, and camera substitution to evade originality checks, and the edited videos can be posted on major platforms such as Kuaishou, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Xigua.

Users employ the tool to quickly grow followers and monetize their accounts by reposting high‑quality videos.

Developer Zhou (born 1996) quit his job to focus on independent development, citing long commute times.

After completing the tool, Zhou attracted customers by publishing overseas articles, recruited sales agents, and agreed on a rebate scheme; the software was priced at 90 CNY per quarter.

From May 2022 to March 2023, Zhou’s earnings exceeded 7 million CNY, with sales rebates totaling over 2 million CNY.

On 16 November 2023, sales associate Chen was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with a three‑year probation for providing illegal intrusion tools, while Zhou received a three‑year sentence with a five‑year probation.

Illustrative Screenshots

Images below show the illegal software’s interface, official acknowledgment of Zhou’s technical abilities, and his personal declaration of independent development.

References: https://v2ex.com/t/1037345 ; https://tv.cctv.com/2024/04/27/VIDEDN7F4BCUq7qJlJYX98sv240427.shtml .