BIZCHINA / Li Yanhong
Record labels sue Baidu for copyright infringement
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-09-16 15:29
The four largest record companies have sued Baidu.com Inc. for copyright
infringement, alleging the Chinese Internet search engine has been
illegally providing links to free digital music downloads, according to a
trade group the represents the music industry.
A Chinese man walks past a poster of the Chinese Internet search engine
Baidu in Shanghai on August 4, 2005. [newsphoto]
Universal Music Group, EMI Group Plc and Warner Music Group Corp. filed
their suits in July in Beijing to stop Baidu from providing those links,
a spokesman for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
said. Sony BMG Music Entertainment filed its suit earlier this month.
The music industry has been cracking down on piracy, one of its largest
costs. It recently won a landmark decision against Grokster, a
peer-to-peer network that allowed users to download music from one
another without permission from the artists.
The Baidu case is believed to be different, since the search engine is
providing links to sites that offer illegal downloads.
Baidu, known as the Chinese Google, lost nearly a third of its market
value earlier this week after two of the investment banks that managed
the company's initial public offering said the stock price was overblown.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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