China Music Mayhem

Posted by Mike Walsh

4/7/08 6:27 AM

ChinaMusicThey are at it again. The Record Labels in China are filing suit against Baidu and Sohu for their involvement in aiding piracy by linking to unlicensed music files. The WSJ has a useful summary of the less than successful attempts by the labels to force compliance in the past.

In some ways the situation in China may be a lead indicator of the future of the music industry in the west. Chinese artists derive only a tiny fraction of their income from CD sales, earning their keep instead from events and endorsements. Under that model, what you might call piracy, others might see as free marketing. The Labels probably know that too. Music downloading is such an integral part of the Chinese web experience, and a large proportion of the traffic to sites like Baidu - that I suspect that these law suits have more to do with gaining leverage in negotiations than forcing a change user behavior.


Topics: Media

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