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56.com's competitors believe the video-sharing service -- by some estimates the second-largest in China -- is kaput, shut down by the Chinese authorities for copyright infringement or some other high crime, vaporizing the $30 million put into the company by Disney's Steamboat Ventures, Susquehanna International Group, Hikari Private Equity, Sequoia China, Adobe Systems and CID Group.

But today, a sign of life, albeit a weak one. For a month, 56.com has greeted visitors with a staid message, blaming the outage on technical problems. Now, they've added some cute aliens and a promise to return, soon. Translation from Chinese:

We are coming back to earth soon. Our system maintenance is already nearing completion, and the service will be returning soon. Please tell your friends about the news. Thank you for your support during this time. We're looking forward to meeting you again. Thank you!

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See Also: China Grants License To Would-Be YouTube, Youku
A Chinese YouTube Disappears, Along With Millions Of Western Dollars. Next?
Another "Chinese YouTube" Raises Monster Cash