In a major setback for record companies’ intellectual property rights, China’s largest internet search engine Baidu, as well as smaller Sogou, have been cleared of internet piracy charges by a Beijing court, the Financial Times reported. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) estimates that 99% of music in China is now downloaded from the internet. "The verdicts do not reflect the reality that these services have built their music search businesses on the basis of facilitating mass copyright infringement," IFPI said. Courts ruled against Yahoo China in a similar case in 2007. Universal Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Hong Kong and Warner Music Hong Kong sued Baidu in February 2008 for enabling piracy by offering free links to pirated material.
Categories