Yahoo! China comes under copyright fire

 

 

Trimmed by IPsoon Global Agency
Nov 19, 2007

 

 

Eleven music companies are suing online commerce group Alibaba for copyright infringement, accusing it of providing links to unlicensed music on its search engine, Yahoo! China.

 

 

The plaintiffs, led by the music industry trade association International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), include EMI, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music and Universal Music.

 

 

The IFPI is claiming about Rmb5.5 million ($710,000) in damages. Beijing's Second Intermediate Court has accepted the case.

 

 

In November last year the IFPI lost a similar case against China's biggest search engine, Baidu.com in the First Intermediate Court.

 

 

It still plans to appeal that ruling, although EMI dropped out of the litigation in January after it negotiated a music streaming service with the Chinese search engine.

 

 

Alibaba bought Yahoo! China in 2005 and Yahoo Inc subsequently acquired a 40% stake in Alibaba.

 

 

Rouse & Co is acting for the IFPI and Lovells is advising Alibaba.

 

 

IPsoon Global Agency comments:

Music is easy to acquire from the internet indeed. It makes some music companies¡¯ profits fall down. We think the Chinese government should strengthen to protect these rights.