p2p news / p2pnet: The members of the Big Four Organized Music cartel are going after Yahoo China for alleged copyright violation.

The IFPI, owned by Sony BMG, EMI, Warner Music and Vivendi Universal, says Yahoo China’s music pages link directly to unlicensed downloads and streams, according to a Reuters/Billboard story.

“Sony BMG China’s Wong says the Asia Pacific regional office of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the music business’ main lobbying arm, sent Yahoo China cease-and-desist warnings on behalf of the four major international labels in December,” it says.

” ‘Deep linking,’ as the practice is known, differs from sending Web searchers to other pages that may host unlicensed music,” says the item. “Instead, the links on Baidu and Yahoo directly trigger a download of music hosted by sites that appear to be unaffiliated with Yahoo.”

Examples of Yahoo China’s apparent copyright violation include deep links to Beatles music.

However, the band’s catalogue has never been licensed to a digital service and when DJ Danger Mouse’s Grey Album, a mix compiled from Jay-Z’s Black Album and The Beatles’ White Album, appeared, EMI, which controls all Beatles sound recordings, did everything it could to stomp it.

Meanwhile, Porter Erisman, international marketing VP of Beijing Net auction site Alibaba International, which manages Yahoo China, is quoted as saying if content is streaming or being downloaded from another site, such violations would be the responsibility of that site.

“Yahoo China doesn’t actually post the works which (users) are downloading,” Reuters/Billboard has him stating.

Yahoo paid $1 billion for a 40% stake in Alibaba last August, then turned over management and operation of its China portal to Alibaba, says the story, continuing, “Yahoo China is a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Internet portal Yahoo. The U.S. operation http://www.yahoo.com links directly to http://www.yahoo.com.cn, which makes yahoo.com users three clicks from downloading unlicensed music.”

Baidu was found guilty of copyright infringement in September last, “in a case brought by Shanghai Bu-sheng Music Culture Media, the local distributor for EMI,” says the article, going on:

“Billboard also found links on yahoo.cn for ringtone downloads at http://www.3721.com, a site bearing the Yahoo name and logo and registered to Alibaba.com Corp. of Hong Kong. Users of 3721 are asked to provide their name, cell phone number and handset model before a ringtone is sent to their phone for a charge of 2 renminbi (25 cents). A Chinese software and keyword engine, 3721 Network Software was acquired by Yahoo for $120 million in 2003.

“Billboard was unable to determine the licensing status of ringtones sold on 3721. But the Beatles’ music, which has never been made available for ringtones, was for sale.”

Also See:
Reuters/Billboard - Yahoo China offers direct link to music pirates, March 5, 2006
Grey Album - Grey Album goes Gold, February 25, 2004

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If you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent website blocking outside of China.

Download it here and feel free to copy the zip and host it yourself so others can download it.

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