Abstract
Why did Baidu, China's largest Internet search service, settle a 2011 music copyright infringement case with three large western music publishers when it had prevailed on previous such claims against it? Dong and Jayakar explore four possible reasons for the Baidu settlement, and conclude that while one may not have been enough, all of them taken together likely led to the result, representing a major shift in Baidu's position on music copyrights. The authors then ask if this case may be exemplary of a major shift of China's overall attitude towards copyright and intellectual property.
Bibliography
Archibugi, Daniele and Andrea Filippetti.
“The Globalization of Intellectual Property Rights: Four Lessons Learned and Four Theses.”
In Governance and Knowledge: The Politics of Foreign Investment, Technology and Ideas
, edited by Helge Hveem and Carl Henrik Knutsen, 65
–81
. New York
: Routledge
, 2012
.Associated Press
. “IPO Ready: China's Google Wannabe.”
Wired
, July 31, 2005
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2005/07/68376.Baidu, Inc
. 2011 Annual Report
, report (2011
). Accessed Apr. 2, 2013
, http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/18/188488/2011_AR_BIDU.pdf.Baidu, Inc
. “Baidu Reached an Amicable Settlement with Three Major Record Companies.”
Aug. 4, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 1, 2013, http://www.baiduppc.com/baidu-reached-an-amicable-settlement-with-three-major-record-companies/.Chen, Chun-Shuo and Terrence A. Maxwell.
“Three Decades of Bilateral Copyright Negotiations: China and the United States.”
Government Information Quarterly
27
, no. 2
(2010
): 196
–207
.China Internet Network Information Center
. “2007 Chinese Search Engine Market Report,”
Sept. 25, 2007
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://wenku.baidu.com/view/94d9cd6ab84ae45c3b358cd6.html###.China Internet Network Information Center
. “The 30th Statistics Report on the Internet Development in China,”
July 23, 2012
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://www.cnnic.net.cn/hlwfzyj/hlwxzbg/hlwtjbg/201207/t20120723_32497.htm.“China Issues New Rules on the Handling of Intellectual Property Infringement Cases.”
Dezan Shira & Associates
, unknown date. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013
, http://www.dezshira.com/updates/2011/02/new-rules-issued-on-the-handling-of-intellectual-property-infringement-cases.html/.de Kloet, Jeroen.
“Rock in a Hard Place: Commercial Fantasies in China's Music Industry.”
In Media in China: Consumption, Content and Crisis
, edited Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, Michael Keane, and Yin Hong, 93
–104
. New York
: RoutledgeCurzon
, 2008
.“The Development of the Digital Music Market in China,”
unknown date. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013
, http://wenku.baidu.com/view/2c94b4d7c1c708a1284a44f6.html.Fischer, Susanna.
“A Brief Introduction to the Legal System of China.”
Research paper (2002
). Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://faculty.cua.edu/fischer/ComparativeLaw2002/bauer/China-main.htm.Hansen, Hugh C.
“International Copyright: An Unorthodox Analysis.”
Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law
29
, no. 3
(1996
): 579
–594
.International Federation of the Phonographic Industry [IFPI]
. “Baidu Faces Potential Multi-Billion Dollar Liability for Breaching Copyright,”
Apr. 7, 2007
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20080407.html.International Federation of the Phonographic Industry [IFPI]
. Digital Music Report 2012: Expanding Choice, Going Global
, report (2012
). Accessed Apr. 2, 2013
, www.ifpi.org/content/library/dmr2012.pdf.iResearch
. “iResearch China Digital Music Analysis Report 2009–2010,”
report (2009
). Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://wenku.baidu.com/view/220e85b81a37f111f1855b66.Jayakar, Krishna.
“The U.S.-China Copyright Dispute: A Two—Level Games Analysis.”
Communication Law & Policy
2
, no. 4
(1997
): 527
–561
.Ke, Xin.
“Baidu Will Pay Royalties on a Per-Play Basis.”
Tech Web
, Apr. 1, 2012
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://www.sootoo.com/content/105409.shtml.Lee, Melanie and Lisa Richwine.
“Baidu in Landmark Deal with Record Labels.”
Reuters
, July 19, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 1, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/19/us-baidu-music-idUSTRE76I0WN20110719.Levin, Dan.
“China's Biggest Search Engine, Known for Illegal Downloads, Makes Music Deal.”
New York Times
, July 19, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/technology/baidu-chinas-search-giant-announces-music-licensing-deal.html.Liu, Jiarui.
“The Tough Reality of Copyright Piracy: A Case Study of the Music Industry in China.”
Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal
27
(2010
): 621
–660
.Liu, Xiaokai.
“Protecting Music Copyright on the Internet.”
Tech Hexun
, July 28, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://tech.hexun.com/2011–07-28/131823038.html.Liu, Yue.
“What Does the Loss of $100 Million in Music Market Mean?”
China Youth
, July 25, 2008
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2008–07/25/content_2279276.htm.Ming, Shuliang and Mingmei Jiang.
“Baidu Case: A Decisive Litigation.”
China Internet Weekly
, Oct. 10, 2005
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://news.xinhuanet.com/it/2005–10/11/content_3605269.htm.Montgomery, Lucy and Brian Fitzgerald.
“Copyright and the Creative Industries in China.”
International Journal of Cultural Studies
9
, no. 3
(2006
): 407
–418
.Montgomery, Lucy and Jason Potts.
“Does Weaker Copyright Mean Stronger Creative Industries? Some Lessons from China.”
Creative Industries Journal
1
, no. 3
(2009
): 245
–261
.Music 2.0
. “2008 Digital Music Research,”
report (2008
). Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://wenku.baidu.com/view/30c9f15177232f60ddcca1a5.html.Music Copyright Society of China
. “General Introduction.”
Accessed Apr. 3, 2013
, http://www.mcsc.com.cn/Introduction.php?partid=28.“The Nielsen Company & Billboard's 2011 Music Industry Report.”
Business Wire
, Jan. 5, 2012
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120105005547/en/Nielsen-Company-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2011-Music-Industry-Report.Office of the United States Trade Representative
. 2009 Special 301 Report, Apr. 30, 2009
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.ustr.gov/sites/default/files/Full%20Version%20of%20the%202009%20SPECIAL%20301%20REPORT.pdf.Office of the United States Trade Representative
. 2011 Special 301 Report, Apr. 2011
. Accessed Apr. 1, 2013, http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2841.Office of the United States Trade Representative
. Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets
, Feb. 28, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2595.Office of the United States Trade Representative
. Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets
, Dec. 20, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/3215.Ollier, Peter.
“Baidu is Removed from USTR Market List.”
Managing Intellectual Property
, Jan. 4, 2012
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://www.managingip.com/Article/2955894/Baidu-is-removed-from-USTR-market-list.html.“The Result of MCSC v. Baidu.”
China Youth Daily
, Feb. 25, 2010
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.tclawfirm.com/03ReadNews.asp?NewsID=2663.“Right of Communication Through the Information Network.”
China Patents and Trademarks
3
(2006
): 90
–94
.Rysman, Marc
. “The Economics of Two-Sided Markets.”
Journal of Economic Perspectives
2
, no. 3
(2009
): 125
–143
.Schepens, Paula.
Guide to the Collective Administration of Authors' Rights
. Paris
: UNESCO
, 2000
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001206/120677e.pdf.Schiff, Representative Adam.
“Schiff Applauds Licensing Deal with China's Biggest Search Engine, Known for Illegal Downloads.”
Press release, July 19, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://schiff.house.gov/press-releases/schiff-applauds-licensing-deal-with-chinas-biggest-search-engine-known-for-illegal-downloads/.Shao, Yanming.
“Is Baidu Criminally Liable? – A Penal Analysis of Baidu Library Copyright Infringement.”
China IP
, July 28, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.chinaipmagazine.com/en/journal-show.asp?id=719.“Simultaneous Users of QQ Music Reach 10 Million.”
Tech QQ
, Sept. 27, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://tech.qq.com/a/20110228/000119.htm.Song, Berwin.
“Baidu Responds to Lawsuit.”
Billboard
, Apr. 5, 2008
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/others/baidu-responds-to-lawsuit-1003788810.story.Song, Haiyan.
“ISP Liability Under the Copyright Law Regime In China.”
China Patents & Trademarks
4
(2010
): 61
–67
.Tong, Zhilei, Fang Yan, and Jie Hao.
“Digital Copyright Protection in China.”
Publishing Research Quarterly
24
, no. 1
(2008
): 48
–53
.UCLA Asian American Studies Center
. “World Trade Organization Membership and Intellectual Property Rights,”
Jan. 1, 2008
. Expired link, http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/uschina/trade_wtoipr.shtml.United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]
. The ABC of Copyright
. Paris
: UNESCO
, 2010
. Accessed Apr. 2, 2013, http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CLT/diversity/pdf/WAPO/ABC_Copyright_en.pdf.Wang, Qian.
“The New Right of Communication Through the Information Network in the People's Republic of China.”
In Copyright Law, Digital Content and the Internet in the Asia-Pacific
, edited by Brian Fitzgerald, Fuping Gao, Damien O'Brien, and Sampsung Xiaoxiang Shi, 187
–218
. Sydney, Australia
: Sydney University Press
, 2008
.Wang, Shujen.
Framing Piracy: Globalization and Film Distribution in Greater China
. Oxford, U.K.
: Rowman & Littlefield
, 2003
.Wang, Yaxi and Haitao Zhang.
“Copyright Litigation Against Search Engine Service Providers.”
King & Wood Mallesons IP Bulletin
(2008
). Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.kingandwood.com/article.aspx?id=IPBulletin081127–12&language=en#1.Wechsler, Andrea.
“Intellectual Property Law in the People's Republic of China: A Powerful Economic Tool for Innovation and Development.”
China-EU Law Journal
1
(2011
): 3
–54
.Wen, Songhui.
“The Ministry of Culture: 239 Websites Facing Banning.”
Renmin News
, Dec. 16, 2010
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://www.dzwww.com/rollnews/news/201012/t20101216_6874769.htm.World Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO]
. Background Reading Material on the Intellectual Property System of China
. Geneva, Switzerland
: WIPO
, 1993
.World Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO]
. “WIPO – A User's Guide.”
Accessed Apr. 2, 2013
, http://www.wipo.int/freepublications/en/general/1040/wipo_pub_1040.html.World Trade Organization
. “China – Measures Affecting the Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights.”
Dispute DS362, Mar. 19, 2010
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds362_e.htm.Xiao, Xuan.
“Music Insiders Are Not Excited About the Cooperation Between Baidu and MCSC.”
Sohu News
, Apr. 2, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://music.yule.sohu.com/20110402/n305257407.shtml.Xu, Ning.
“Baidu Promised to Delete Unauthorized Music Links by the End of the Month.”
Shanghai Morning Post
, June 14, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 1, 2013, http://news.ccidnet.com/art/1032/20110614/2413397_1.html.Xue, Song and Linlin Zhao.
“Seven Record Companies Sued Baidu.”
Guangzhou Daily
, Sept. 27, 2005
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2005–09-27/1631730500.shtml.Yang, Linhua.
“Battling Baidu.”
21st Century Business Herald
, Feb. 25, 2008
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://stock.jrj.com.cn/2008–02-25/000003326349.shtml.Yang, Miao.
“Baidu Announced the Launch of Legal Music Platform.”
China News
, Apr. 2, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 3, 2013, http://www.chinanews.com/it/2011/04–02/2948235.shtml.Zang, Yanbin.
“Amendment to the Chinese Copyright Law and the Revival of the Music Industry.”
China Press and Publishing Journal
, Feb. 2, 2012
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://data.chinaxwcb.com/epaper2012/epaper/d5225/d8b/201202/18554.html.Zhang, Tian.
Examining Copyright Regimes in China's Digital Music Industry: History, Challenges and New Models
. Master's thesis, The Pennsylvania State University
, 2012
.Zhou, Wei.
“The Ministry of Culture Continues Cleaning Up Unauthorized Music.”
Xinhua News
, Aug. 27, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011–08/27/c_121920190.htm.Zhou, Zhijun.
“The Establishment of the Alliance of Digital Music Industry.”
China Culture Daily
, June 17, 2011
. Accessed Apr. 4, 2013, http://www.ce.cn/culture/whcyk/gundong/201106/17/t20110617_22486132.shtml.Author notes
*
Doctoral student, College of Communications, The Pennsylvania State University.
†
Associate Professor, College of Communications, The Pennsylvania State University.
Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University
2013
The Pennsylvania State University
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
