China Audio Media Company sued Fumanlou Karaoke Bar for playing more than 30 songs of the company without paying royalties in March. The People’s Intermediate Court of Taiyuan ruled that the Karaoke bar should pay 2,500 yuan ($367.6) in damages for each song on July 20, said Shi Xia, the media company’s lawyer.

The Fumanlou turned a deaf ear at the verdict so the court closed the karaoke bar upon the request of China Audio Media Company, Shi added.

China Audio Media Company is one of the 520 members of China Audio & Video Association, an industrial association that works on protecting its members’ rights.

Jiang Zhipei, vice chairman of Copyright Society of China, said this could be an example for others to follow in curbing piracy and contempt of law in certain sectors.

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.

Source : Konaxis