Recording Industry Calls On EU To Tackle China's Massive Music Piracy Problem

Brussels, EU. (Top40 Charts/ IFPI) - Heads of the international recording industry came to Brussels today to raise with EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, the serious piracy and market access problems they face when trying to do business in China.

China has enormous promise for sales of music by European record companies, but its market was worth only 56 million Euro in trade revenues last year. The record industry delegation will tell Commissioner Mandelson that this potential can only be realised if the huge problem of China's internet piracy, estimated at over 99 per cent of the overall digital market, can be solved.

Present at today's meeting with Commissioner Mandelson will be Mike Batt, Chairman of Dramatico Entertainment; Tim Bowen, Chief Operating Officer, Sony BMG Music Entertainment; JF Cecillon, Chairman & CEO, EMI Music International; Max Hole, President, Asian Pacific Executive VP Marketing and A&R, Universal Music Group International; and John Kennedy, Chairman & CEO of IFPI, the organisation representing the recording industry worldwide.

Ahead of the EU-China Summit in Beijing on 28th November, where online piracy will be on the agenda, the recording industry outlined to Commissioner Mandelson the problems they face in trying to build viable businesses in China. The record companies are confronted by massive infringement of intellectual property rights, market access restrictions and the absence of broadcasting and public performance rights.

John Kennedy, IFPI Chairman & CEO, said: "When the recording industry tries to defend its copyrights against online piracy in China, it is blocked by a combination of heavy procedural rules, woefully low levels of damages and injunctions too narrow to prevent ongoing infringement. Chinese law has simply not kept pace with the explosion of online piracy."