China's first copyright infringement lawsuits against singing
machine producers and sellers have been filed in Beijing No.2
Intermediate People's Court, officials with the court said
yesterday.
Previously, music organizations tended to sue KTV clubs. Some
analysts see the shift to suing producers and sellers of singing
machines as a potential new trend to combat copyright
infringement.
The Music Copyright Society of China (MCSC) sued Xiamen-based
Amoi Electronics as the company's PK-DVD 680 singing machines were
sold to the market containing 20 songs that had not been
copyrighted by the MCSC. The society is demanding Amoi pay 49,000
yuan (US$6,229) in compensation.
The MCSC is also suing sellers of the PK-680 singing machine for
compensation.
The case is still under investigation and the date of the first
hearing has not been decided, said Gao Zhihai, an employee of the
court.
Meanwhile, the court received a case in which Beijing-based
children's music agent Kirin Kid Productions sued Changzhou-based
Shinco Electronic Group Co Ltd as its DG-900 singing machine
contained copyrighted songs. Kirin Kid demanded 59,000 yuan
(US$7,500) in compensation.
Wang Xuemei, market manager with Kirin Kid Productions told
China Daily that the two companies have already settled out
of court.
Wang would not reveal the exact amount of compensation Shinco
will pay.
The two cases are believed by legal experts to signal a new
trend in IPR protection campaigns.
According to a judge surnamed Zhang in charge of IPR
infringement cases, copyright holders used to prefer to sue KTV
owners for IRP infringement.
But their lawsuits often failed as KTV owners claimed the
singing machines had come with the songs preloaded, according to
Zhang.
Legal experts such as Zhang expect the implementation of KTV
copyright fees will ease the tension between copyright holders and
music broadcasters.
The National Copyright Administration (NCA) said on Thursday
that KTV club owners should pay a daily 12 yuan (US$1.5) copyright
fee for each singing room. The decision came after a two-month
soliciting of opinions from copyright holders, KTV goers and
owners.
The fee program will start in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou
before going national, according to a notice posted on the official
website of the NCA.
(China Daily November 11, 2006)