p2pnet - rss feed: Big Music goes after China’s Baidu
p2pnet news | Music:- Baidu.com, China’s most used search engine, has been violating copyrights, says Qu Jingming, director-general of the Music Copyright Society of China.
Baidu is said to have been providing free on-line song downloading services, according to china.org.cn.
It was, "cleared of helping users to download music illegally in a case brought by some of the world’s largest music companies," p2pnet reported in 2006, going on
"The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which estimates that about 85 percent of all music consumed in China is pirated, said it would appeal against the ruling and was confident it would be overturned."
At the beginning of the month, "Three multinational record companies have filed copyright infringement claims in a Beijing court against China’s most popular internet search engine, Baidu.com Inc," said The Register.
"Universal Music Ltd, Warner Music Hong Kong Ltd and Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Hong Kong) Ltd accuse Baidu of violating copyright by providing access to music files, according to an anti-piracy lobby group," says the story.
"The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said in a statement yesterday that the music giants have asked the court to order Baidu to remove all links to tracks that they own the rights to."
Now, "MCSC claims that it has been negotiating with Baidu since 2005 to resolve the copyright violation issue but could not reach an agreement with the company," says Redline China, continuing:
"As a result, MCSC brought the dispute to Beijing Haidian district court, suing for nearly $150,000 in damages and legal fees. Pearl Research believes the music download search has been one of the main drivers for Baidu’s traffic and a key advantage the company has over Google China.
"However, various ongoing copyright violation lawsuits bring in questions the sustainability of the company’s music search engine."
This is the first charge against music copyright infringement by Baidu initiated by a copyright management authority, china.org.cn has Qu stating
Also See:
china.org.cn - Home Office CD in auction laptop, February 28, 2008
p2pnet - IFPI defeated in Baidu battle, November 17, 2006
The Register - Music industry sues Baidu, February 5, 2008
Redline China - Music Copyright Society of China Sues Baidu for Copyright Violation, February 27, 2008
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February 29th, 2008 at 7:46 am
I predict that if they are successful, this will completely end piracy in China. No really! It will. It worked in the United States, didn’t it?
It’s ok though. I love to see them wasting their money.