在线国产一区二区_成人黄色片在线观看_国产成人免费_日韩精品免费在线视频_亚洲精品美女久久_欧美一级免费在线观看

  Home>News Center>China
       
 

Department store faces music in copyright case
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-02-04 23:06

Proceedings in China's first-ever lawsuit over copyright infringement for background music allegedly being played for profit-making purposes began Wednesday in a Beijing court.

Chang'an Department Store, a major retail outlet in the capital, has been charged for the infringement by the Music Copyright Society of China.

The lawsuit court session started yesterday at the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court. This case, the first of its kind since the country's Copyright Law was amended in 2001, is drawing attention nationwide.

In its indictment, the society is seeking a compensation of 228,100 yuan (US$27,600) for the accused store's use of background music, whose copyright is managed by the society, without being authorized and paying fees. No judgment was made yesterday in the case, and an announcement for the next session is yet to be made public.

The Music Copyright Society of China is the country's only officially recognized organization for music copyright administration.

Background music played at department stores or hotels -- also called `muzak' -- received legal protection in 2001 under revisions to the Copyright Law. The law states that both live and mechanical performances enjoy the same rights.

While in the original version of the law, which was adopted in 1990, the rights in performance were only related with live performances -- displaying musical works through the performances of the musicians or technical equipment.

At yesterday's hearing, the plaintiffs in the case said they had recorded three hours worth of background music for the store in September of last year as evidence. The music was broadcast during the store's business hours.

"Only in three hours, 21 songs were played whose rights had been entrusted to the society for administrative purposes,'' Wang Bin, the lawyer representing the plaintiff said yesterday.

Wang added that this is only a small part of the works played by the accused without authorization.

The association has now administered copyrights for over 14 million music works by 2,500 members.

"But the evidence could fully support the fact that the accused has been using the music works illegally for a rather long time, in large amounts, with the purpose of making profits,'' he said.

The evidence has been preserved and notarized, according to the lawyer.

The society issued a lawyer's letter to the store last April, pointing out that the store is violating the plaintiff's rights.

"But the accused paid no heed to our legal appeal and continued as before,'' Wang said.

Up to now, 23 department stores in Beijing, including the Oriental Plaza and the Pacific Department Store, have paid fees to the society for using the songs under their administration, according to sources.

Department stores with various amount of areas are charged with different standards by the society. The usual fee is 254 fen (31 US cents) per square metre per year for a department store of 10,000-20,000 square metres to use the music, the society said.

The plaintiffs expressed their willingness to accept the conciliation initiated by the court, but Chang'an Department Store refused the settlement yesterday.

"The society is only a non-governmental organization, not a governmental authority, so it has no right to collect mandatory fees,'' Zhang Guoying, general manager of the store said yesterday.

Zhang believed that how to charge the fees should be decided by the State Council. And there is no legal proof now on the issue.

"Meanwhile, the broadcasting of background music in our store is aimed at creating a good shopping environment for consumers, but not to make profits,'' she said.

"In fact, the copyright owners of the songs benefit from this as their works were made more widely know through us.''

She also denied the existence of the plaintiff's letter, saying "we have never had any form of communications with the plaintiff before the court session.''

Zhang also said that most of the stores in Beijing which paid fees for background music are foreign ones, as "State-owned units still need some time to get familiar with this.''

After ceasing playing of the background music last month, sales have not been influenced at all, she added.

Charges over background music performances have been given more and more importance in recent years.

In November of last year. a Beijing-based Karaoke entertainment hall was ordered by the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court to pay 56,000 yuan (US$6,760) to a Hong Kong-based entertainment company for using the company's music videos without paying for them.

It was reported that fees worth a total of 18 million yuan (US$2.2 million) were collected in 2002 on the Chinese mainland for background music broadcasts. 



Kite tells a love story
Supermarket on fire in Hunan
Big day for Basi, the giant panda
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

HK recovers from violent protests during WTO meeting

 

   
 

Bo: China's GDP growth exceeds 9% in 2005

 

   
 

Iran seeks to sign key oil deal with China

 

   
 

3 villagers killed during riot at power plant

 

   
 

Welfare heating to be stopped in 2007

 

   
 

Bush asserts US is winning Iraq war

 

   
  Welfare heating to be stopped in 2007
   
  3 villagers killed during riot at power plant
   
  Electrician detained for Liaoyuan hospital fire
   
  HK recovers from violent protests during WTO meeting
   
  Iran seeks to sign key oil deal with China
   
  State urges end of poultry restrictions
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美成人精品欧美一级私黄 | 日韩视频免费观看 | 欧美色图一区二区 | 欧美在线视频观看 | 日韩在线成人 | 久久国产一区二区三区 | 国产精品视频免费看 | 视频一二区 | www五月天 | 亚洲国产成人精品女人久久久 | 国产精品一区二区视频 | 深夜福利av| 国产色在线 | 三级在线观看 | 69视频在线观看 | 日日干日日 | 欧美不卡一区 | 亚洲视频国产 | 日韩手机在线视频 | 男人操女人视频网站 | 成人午夜影院 | 午夜久久 | 99久久精品国产毛片 | 国产极品在线观看 | 成年视频在线观看 | 夜夜欢天天干 | 成年人免费在线视频 | 日韩精品免费观看 | 99久久婷婷国产综合精品草原 | 国产a精品| 亚洲在线观看视频 | 欧美91| 国产精品123 | 久久精品欧美一区 | 黄色免费一级片 | 免费三片在线观看网站v888 | 超碰在线免费播放 | 久久香蕉国产 | 国产成人一区二区 | 欧美日韩视频 | 91av视频在线观看 |