Nearly half of Chinese provinces have taken initiatives to
collect karaoke copyright royalties by the end of 2007 in an effort
to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) in audio and video
sectors.
China Audio and Video Association (CAVA) and China Copyright
Society of Works of Music (CCSWM) said 15 provinces and
municipalities, including Beijing, Guangdong and Jiangsu, had so
far agreed to pay copyright royalties, and the practice should be
spread nationwide.
Karaoke operators are required to pay a daily charge of 12 yuan
(US$1.6) for each karaoke room -- less in underdeveloped regions --
for the use of musical and video products, as stated in a National
Copyright Administration notice in Nov. 2006.
Liu Chuntian, an IPR expert, said the charges represented the
fact that China's IPR protections had shifted from words to
practice.
An official with the country's IPR protection group echoed Liu,
saying that the move marked new progress in property
protection.
However, some Karaoke operators were still trying to avoid or
delay paying the fee, and using the song databases illegally.
Lv Wenju, spokesman with the CAVA and the CCSWM, said the
associations would accelerate IPR protection campaigns, and resort
to court proceedings against illegal use of the songs.
Yunnan Province had recently found a case of illegally copying
of a 20,000-song-database. The two suspects have been taken into
custody. The other 16 Chinese provinces have plans to implement IPR
for karaoke performances, but no timetable has been provided as to
when this will be carried out.
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2008)