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Music Giants Sue Baidu Over Music Downloads

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the sweet-sound-of-being-silenced dept.

chengee writes "Music giants Universal, EMI, Warner, Sony BMG and their local subsidiaries are suing Chinese search engine Baidu for allegedly infringing the copyright of hundreds of songs, a press report said Friday. Looks like the party is going to be over for Chinese downloaders. But more importantly how will this lawsuit turn out in a place known for its lax copyright laws?"

8 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. When it suits them... by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Looks like the party is going to be over for Chinese downloaders. But more importantly how will this lawsuit turn out in a place known for its lax copyright laws?"

    This round? Probably something in spirit in favor of the RIAA, but still not as well enforced or as speedily as they would like. Not as fast as, say a tune with the lyrics like "Taiwan Independence Day, Hooray!" or "Falun Gong, get it on", where everyone would remark at the swiftness and finality of their enforcement.

    But with the looming US debt owed to China, how long before they say, "No, Yankee, we don't feel like it. What are you going to do about it" and grin the grin of one who knows they hold the other by the short hairs?

    China has a track record of honoring treaties and peace when they have larger goals in sight. Once they have achieved those goals... The West will see how much they really care what the rest of the world has to say and tell it what opinion it should share of the great PRC.

    They're patient, they've put up with hundreds of years of crap and they know it. Has the West forgotten?

    There has been a growing concern among investors over the company's prospects. Its shares dropped 28 percent in New York Wednesday after two analysts warned the stock was seriously overvalued.

    And yet Google isn't?

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:When it suits them... by WindBourne · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well, more importantly, USA is moving rapidly to being an IP only country. This is easy to destroy. All china (and most of the world) has to do, is simply no longer accept the method patent. At that point, the brave new world that was started in the 80's will be destroyed.

      That is because we will have no manufactuering, no infrastructure, and quite honestly, no education. The only thing that we will have is abstract IP (music, books, software, etc). China is methodically destroying the west and making sure that they are in a good position. Sadly, our leaders do not get it.

      As to the overvalueing, most of software companies are overvalues. MS? what do they have that is worth what they are valued at? Their monopoly, which is slowly being taken apart by the marketplace. Google? Yeah, they are overvalued. But I think that they are making hay of what they have. Hopefully, they remain in the top.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  2. Google Music Search by Valiss · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I always wondered when I added 'filetype:mp3' to my search why Google yielded zero results. Is this a copyright thing?

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    -Valiss
  3. Lax? by sambo_shacklock · · Score: 2, Interesting
    known for its lax copyright laws?

    Don't you mean more sensible copyright laws?

    --
    Carpe post meridian
  4. Wouldn't it be wonderful if... by gilgongo · · Score: 3, Interesting
    From TFA: "...the goal was to 'cooperate and make a platform for legal music downloads.'"

    So imagine if instead of doing what we all assume they're probably going to do (cave in to Sony, BMG et al), China turns round and says "Protect the artists? Sure! We'll do that - but only if you help us build a network that passes 100% of the purchase price of each MP3 directly to the artists that wrote or performed the tracks."

    A few yuan multiplied by a few billion makes...?

    --
    "And the meaning of words; when they cease to function; when will it start worrying you?"
  5. Busted for sharing emule by biraneto2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The music companies allege Baidu has made it easy for users to download illegal copies of their songs via its MP3 search engine What kind of law is that? So... how can this be considered illegal? If I tell you that if you connect to E-mule you can download the same MP3 am I commiting a crime?

  6. Copyright Laws by IanBevan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    My understanding, from dealing with people in New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (a government department here), is that the copyright laws in China are in fact fine, it's their enforcement that needs attention.

    --
    Never, ever lose a file again. Ever.
  7. Baidu had video search, too by Bushcat · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Posting way too late for anyone to actually read this, but c'est la guerre. Pre-IPO, baidu.com had video search which helped it increase market share pre-IPO. The button was removed before IPO, leaving just the MP3 button. Ergo, baidu.com knows what game it's playing.

    In a separate action to that brought by EMI et al, a Beijing court has just ordered Baidu.com to pay RMB68,000 to Shanghai Busheng Music Cultural Media Company. Busheng had accused Baidu of allowing Internet users to use the Baidu search engine to find and download copyright-protected music. The court has also ordered Baidu to stop providing the download services to online users. Baidu says it plans to appeal the decision. See http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticleSearch.as px?storyID=221757+19-Sep-2005+RTRS&srch=baidu.

    So perhaps the copyright laws will be enforced more strictly when it's locally-generated content that is being pirated.