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Music Industry Prepares to Sue Yahoo China

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the yahouch dept.

magicchex writes "According to their chairman, John Kennedy, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (IFPI) is preparing to sue Yahoo China unless negotiations are agreed upon which satisfy the IFPI. Yahoo China is the second most popular search engine in China, with the frontrunner, Baidu, already involved in an ongoing lawsuit brought by the IFPI. The BBC article is vague in its description of what exactly Yahoo China would be sued for, mentioning that it provides links to pirated music tracks but not explaining this any further other than a statement that 'a simple search on Yahoo China found mp3 files of recent releases for direct download within a few clicks.'"

32 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. I'm sure... by corychristison · · Score: 5, Interesting
    'a simple search on Yahoo China found mp3 files of recent releases for direct download within a few clicks.'
    I'm sure a search on most forms of search engines would produce similar results. Why does Yahoo China get the can for this?
    1. Re:I'm sure... by Macthorpe · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because companies based in America have better lawyers?

      That's seriously the only reason I can think of.

      --
      "It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
    2. Re:I'm sure... by Xiroth · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In fact, you could probably get to a site with direct downloads of pirated mp3s within 'a few clicks' from the IPFI's site. If this kind of justification is sufficient, maybe they should just sue the entire internet.

    3. Re:I'm sure... by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You would be surprised.
      It used to be the case, but now it seems to be getting harder (at least on google)
      Theres more spam and lyrics and legal sites coming up tops.

      By the time you find anything your on page 97 and searching in foreign languages on random domains.

      I just gave an example of looking for a specific ebook and not managing to find it by direct filename and other common things on google, but managing to get it very easily from yahoo.

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    4. Re:I'm sure... by snafu109 · · Score: 5, Informative
      From another article:

      The federation is also considering using a new Chinese law that came into effect July 1 that fines distributors of illegally copied music, movies and other material over the Internet as much as 100,000 yuan ($12,500). As of today, Chinese search engines operated by Yahoo China and Baidu.com provide links to other Web sites hosting illegally copied songs.

      The law says a Web site is jointly liable with the host of the pirated files for infringement ``if it knows or should know that the work, performance or sound or video recording linked to was infringing.''

      Apparently there is no such law in Western countries.
    5. Re:I'm sure... by nurb432 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because the are the largest, and are prone to cave into demands from other people perhaps?

      Im sure that if they win this, and get some $ of it, they will start going after smaller fish ( that still have an international presence )

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    6. Re:I'm sure... by c · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why does Yahoo China get the can for this?

      Because Yahoo China has demonstrated that they're able and willing to filter search results, pass off user account information to anyone who asks, and generally behave like asshats. Which means they totally lose the "we're just an innocent little search engine, we can't filter our output, it'd be a major hardship" common-carrier type of defense.

      That's probably not the reason, but it would be about what they deserve...

      c.

      --
      Log in or piss off.
    7. Re:I'm sure... by Ritz_Just_Ritz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Just to play devil's advocate...

      If Yahoo China can supress results based on edicts from the "mean old Chinese government," perhaps the music industry is going to say "Well now, you clealy CAN filter the results if you want to or are forced to. We want you to filter out links to illgotten content that we own. If you don't, you're contributing to the problem and have some liability."

      That's the flip side of caving in to search engine filtering. The slope is quite slippery....

    8. Re:I'm sure... by xtracto · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Behold the power of the copyright infringing search engine called GOOGLE

      My question is, isnt Yahoo! USA the same company as Yahoo! China? cant they "provide" their lawyers force?

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    9. Re:I'm sure... by sm62704 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You can't even find ligitimate MP3s on Google.

      Try to find this file. It's a song by my friends Posamist named "Silky Smooth".

      Search for "posamist silky smooth" (no quotes) and you only get links to some old shit on K5 mentioning the song and band. You won't find the MP3, even though I linked to all their MP3s on my (Google indexed) blog September of last year.

      Which is what the RIAA/MPAA want. A Yahoo search DOES return the file, it's the fourth result. What was that about Google not being evil again?

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    10. Re:I'm sure... by the_xaqster · · Score: 2, Insightful
      The law says a Web site is jointly liable with the host of the pirated files for infringement ``if it knows or should know that the work, performance or sound or video recording linked to was infringing.''


      Who decides what the website should know? If you link to a website with a bunch of mp3's called My_Talk1.mp3, My_Talk2.mp3, .... , My_Talk20.mp3 and it turns out My_Talk5.mp3 is a Madonna track, can you be prosecuted because you should have checked? Who draws the line and where?

      Seems like you could easily get into a situation where you rue that the only 20/20 vision you have is hindsight.
      --
      I'm just here to regulate Funkyness
    11. Re:I'm sure... by Haeleth · · Score: 4, Informative

      Search for "posamist silky smooth" (no quotes) and you only get links to some old shit on K5 mentioning the song and band. You won't find the MP3, even though I linked to all their MP3s on my (Google indexed) blog September of last year.
      Which is what the RIAA/MPAA want. A Yahoo search DOES return the file, it's the fourth result. What was that about Google not being evil again?

      Um. I searched for "posamist silky smooth" (no quotes) on Google, and the third result was this. Is that the MP3 you're talking about, or are there two bands called Posamist who have released songs called Silky Smooth?

      And even if I hadn't been able to find the MP3 you named on Google in three clicks, I'm not sure exactly how that would make Google "evil". Evil is when you contribute to human suffering, not when you don't index binary files on your text search engine.

    12. Re:I'm sure... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Apparently there is no such law in Western countries.

      For good reason, but there's a lot of interest here in the U.S. to try and end that immunity. Of course, if they do succeed in making engines responsible for linked content it will simply end search engines, which wouldn't bother some people one bit. China's government is in the unenviable position of wanting all the benefits of free flow of information provided by search without the perceived liabilities. What's unfortunate is that their perceptions of what is acceptable and what is not are being colored by groups whose interests are not aligned with what is best for China, the United States, or any other forward-looking industrial power.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    13. Re:I'm sure... by Kev_Stewart · · Score: 3, Informative

      Those seeking free music use a combination of Google and file hosting services like Rapidshare. Go to Google and type the title of the album in quotes, followed by 'rapidshare.de/files' and bingo. Most of the time the result returns at least one link to a rar file containing the album you searched for.

      Works with movies too.

      Not that one should ever condone such a thing :)

    14. Re:I'm sure... by jambarama · · Score: 3, Informative

      You can still find anything on google, it just takes a little more know-how. For example, add this string to your search intitle:index.of +"mp3" -htm -html -php -asp "Last Modified". Just add the band or song in quotes and you'll be amazed at how much more accurate it'll make an mp3 search. For example - a search for Gorillaz & Feel Good Inc turns up quite a few copies of the MP3. The filetype:mp3 command works well too.

      The same goes for any filetype. Google is doing well at giving copyrighted materials low rankings, their livelihood depends on it, but as long as they index everything, everything is available.

    15. Re:I'm sure... by Total_Wimp · · Score: 2
      And even if I hadn't been able to find the MP3 you named on Google in three clicks, I'm not sure exactly how that would make Google "evil". Evil is when you contribute to human suffering, not when you don't index binary files on your text search engine.
      Ok, maybe not evil, but not very helpful either. Many people claim that Google is the best search engine. What this story tends to indicate is that Yahoo beats it handily if you happen to be searching for MP3s. That means Google is either purposely screwing up their searches or that Yahoo is, in fact, the superior search engine. That latter is definately not evil, but the former is. I suffer when I can't find what I'm looking for. Either way, Google just took a hit.

      TW
  2. this is getting silly by joe+155 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    you can't go sueing search engines because they contain links to links of pirated mp3s... thats just what a search engine does... it seems the only way to avoid this would be to manually go through every web page, download all the mp3s that you can get to and check that they are not pirated... of course if the were you'd get sued anyway...

    --
    *''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
    1. Re:this is getting silly by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Funny

      you can't go sueing search engines because they contain links to links of pirated mp3s... thats just what a search engine does... it seems the only way to avoid this would be to manually go through every web page, download all the mp3s that you can get to and check that they are not pirated...

      What's wrong with that? If it saves the life of one innocent child, isn't it worth it? We must do our patriotic duty to make sure there are no links to links to links and especialy no circular links to pirated materials anywhere on the net. Do your part good citizen and help to assure that the children of RIAA executives are assured a bright future!

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    2. Re:this is getting silly by LordEd · · Score: 2, Funny

      But the US is free*!


      * Some restriction apply. Does not include surcharges or related expenses. Only applicable 3 days per week. Government may alter agreement without notice. Not suitable for children under 12.

  3. The "Land of the Free" by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Funny

    I really didn't expect we'll live until the days when an evil totalitarian regime will be in some regards better than the US.

    On the other hand, it may be a good idea to attach a generator to G. Washington's, T. Jefferson's and co coffins. Just think of the free energy!

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    1. Re:The "Land of the Free" by Distinguished+Hero · · Score: 2, Insightful
      I really didn't expect we'll live until the days when an evil totalitarian regime will be in some regards better than the US.

      People have been making excuses for evil totalitarian regimes (attempting to prove that they are better in at least some respects) since time immemorial. Stop me if you've heard some of these before: "at least they make the trains run on time," "at least they provide free health-care," "at least they provide free education," "there is no famine over there," "the people seem to enjoy it; the leader got 99.9% in the last election." So now I guess we can add "at least it is easier to infringe on copyrights over there" to that list (assuming I'm grokking your post correctly).

      On the other hand, it may be a good idea to attach a generator to G. Washington's, T. Jefferson's and co coffins. Just think of the free energy!

      This joke is getting rather lame; new material is definitely needed (preferably some that follows the law of conservation of energy). Besides, if "G. Washington" was alive today, he'd certainly be called a warmonger for his involvement in the French and Indian War, as well as the American Revolutionary War. As for "T. Jefferson," he was personally responsible for the First Barbary War, in which the warmongering US went to war against the peace-loving Muslim states of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, so I don't think he'd be much liked by the contemporary American establishment either.
      --
      Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
  4. In other news by giorgiofr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Search engines can be used to search for possibly illegal stuff.
    Mail can be used to send possibly illegal objects.
    Roads can be used to go to some possibily illegal destination.
    Weapons can be used to kill someone, possibly in an illegal way.
    Phones can be used to call someone and say possibily illegal things.

    Unless we want to take care of all the above mentioned "problems", I don't see why we should be concerned with search engines and specifically single them out.
    Oh wait, they have lotsa money. Now I understand.

    --
    Global warming is a cube.
  5. I noticed this on yahoo uk by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was looking for a pdb (ebook) of snowcrash recently and whilst its getting harder to find things using google, yahoo came up with results for it.

    Now this just isn't right, can I sue google for NOT finding the things I'm looking for?

    Speaking of lawsuits for stupid things, can I sue yahoo myself for their stupid new frontpage?

    I thought the slash redesign was a bit wonky, but the yahoo one actually does make my eyes bleed, it keeps sliding downwards under some java shit which makes me feel sick. Anyway, I've changed homepage now so bye bye yahoo its been good knowing ya.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
  6. Stick with the agreed hype, please by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's "war against Communist Pirating China" this time, not "think of the children". Don't switch hypes too much, please, people might catch on.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  7. Liberty out of China? by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ya know, the world's turned upside down when China is sued by a "free world" organisation for having too much liberty on something...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Liberty out of China? by Distinguished+Hero · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Ya know, the world's turned upside down when China is sued by a "free world" organisation for having too much liberty on something...

      Fair enough, but consider this: any issue can be framed in terms of liberty. For example, you could say that white Americans no longer have the "liberty" to own other Americans (black), or that Germans no longer have the "liberty" to kill Jews with impunity; however, it is not entirely intellectually honest to do so. China will eventually enforce I.P. laws; the only question is whether they will be enforced after China has worthwhile I.P. to protect, or before. Also consider this: the U.S. does not export much beside I.P.; if you have any sense of self preservation and desire to reduce the grotesque trade deficit, you might see some merit to nudging China to enforce I.P. laws sooner rather than later. This would also have the added benefit of reducing the contamination of Chinese culture with "Britney Spears" culture.
      --
      Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
    2. Re:Liberty out of China? by stubear · · Score: 2, Funny

      That should be "music" not "mucis" though some bands make more of the latter than the former.

  8. How this is different from other search engines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yahoo China differs from other search engines (and from other Yahoo editions) by offering a quite comprehensive MP3 search with direct download links at http://music.yahoo.com.cn/

    Examples?
    http://music.yahoo.com.cn/search.html?pid=ysearch& source=ysearch_music_result_topsearch&p=nelly+furt ado&mimetype=all
    http://music.yahoo.com.cn/search.html?pid=ysearch& source=ysearch_music_result_topsearch&p=shakira&mi metype=all

    1. Re:How this is different from other search engines by kripkenstein · · Score: 2, Funny

      If these two examples are representative of the music linked to by Yahoo China, then this lawsuit has my full backing.

      Bravo to them, I say. Bravo.

  9. Re:Why they dont sue Encyclopedia Brittannica ? by Xiroth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Except the president of the IFPI is a Brit. Don't worry, yanks don't have a monopoly on stupid - the rest of the world certainly has its fair share.

  10. Unbelievable by Linux_ho · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "Yahoo just helped us find like a dozen music pirates in about ten minutes. Thanks, Yahoo! Oh hey, it's kinda tricky to track down these international guys. Bad Yahoo! Bad Bad Yahoo!" If all the search engines colluded with illegal content distributors by hiding their stashes, these morons (and law enforcement) would have to write their own search engines to find them.

    --
    include $sig;
    1;
  11. ATTENTION MODS by sm62704 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The parent links to a warning from Yahoo to click at your own risk, the link from Yahoo links to something with a GNAA logo and attempts to install shit on your computer.

    --
    mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest