Bar loses China's first karaoke copyright case

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-22 14:09

However, the court ruled that Haoledi had a legal duty to ensure payment and its failure to meet its obligation was unreasonable.

The Guangdong-based Yangcheng Evening News reported that the MCSC and the China Audio and Video Association (CAVA) had also filed suits against three karaoke bars for illegally using "Qian Gui", karaoke company Cashbox PartyWorld's Chinese title.

Last year, 15 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing and Guangdong, agreed to collect karaoke copyright royalties. The practice was spreading nationwide, according to the CAVA and MCSC.

Karaoke operators must pay a daily charge of 12 yuan ($1.70) for each karaoke room -- less in underdeveloped regions -- for the use of musical and video products, according to a National Copyright Administration notice issued in November 2006.

China has an estimated 100,000 karaoke establishments -- each with an average of 10 private rooms -- generating almost 1 billion yuan in turnover annually.

Previous page 1 2 Next Page