In a rich irony, the Big Four Organized Music labels are using their IFPI to sue Yahoo China, recently named as the worst offender in Chinese censorship tests.
What's Yahoo's crime, at least as far as Warner Music, Vivendi Univeral, EMI and Sony BMG are concerned?
It's supposedly offering links to "illegal" music. Similar charges came in March when it was said Yahoo China's music pages link directly to unlicensed downloads and streams.
Now, "We've started the process and as far as we're concerned we're on a track to litigation," IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ) boss John Kennedy told Bloomberg News.
But, "If negotiation can prevent that, then so be it," he also said, handling matters personally, or so it would seem given that he imparted the information during a telephone call from Bejing.
Nor is the fact July was chosen as the month to go after Yahoo coincidental.
Under a new law, which became effective on July 1, "distributors of illegally copied music, movies and other material over the Internet as much as 100,000 yuan (US$12,500)," says The China Post, quoting Bloomberg Tokyo and going on:
"As of today, Chinese search engines operated by Yahoo China and Baidu.com Inc. provide links to other Web sites hosting illegally copied songs."
The story has the IFPI's Leong May-seey, the Hong Kong-based IFPI Asia director, saying, "We will work with the authorities to step up action and protect our members' interests."
The Big Four, "last year filed a civil suit against Baidu.com Inc., China's most-used search engine," adds Bloomberg.
"The record companies failed to reach agreement on the case in a June 30 meeting with Baidu, calling the civil settlement offer by Baidu 'unacceptable,'' said Kennedy, without providing further details. Baidu spokeswoman Cynthia He declined in a phone interview today to comment on the June 30 talks and didn't respond to e- mails requesting further information."
Meanwhile, when the news broke in March that Yahoo had been targeted by the labels, it also emerged that Chinese Yahoo user Shi Tao had been jailed after Yahoo allegedly handed over detailed information on him.
Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, "defended the Internet search engine's cooperation with Chinese censorship of the Web, saying it was necessary to reach out to new users," says Agence France-Presse, quoted by telecomasia.
(Thanks, Andrew)
Also See: worst offender - Yahoo Number 1 Net Censor, June 17, 2006 similar charges - Big Music goes after Yahoo, March 8, 2006 Bloomberg News - Yahoo China to Be Sued by Music Labels Including EMI, Universal, July 3, 2006 The China Post - Sony, Warner may use criminal law against Chinese Web sites, July 4, 2006 detailed information - Yahoo Shi Tao scandal, March 31, 2006
