KTV operators taken to court

The China Audio-video Copyright Association (CAVCA) recently filed lawsuits in seven courts in Beijing against 100 Beijing-based KTV operators for allegedly refusing to pay royalties for songs and MTV videos they used.

The list includes popular KTV operators such as Tongyishouge and Huayangnianhua, the association says.

CAVCA, which is responsible for charging KTV operators, began to send notices to Beijing-based operators on September 27. It urged them to pay the royalties before October 10 and warned of legal actions if they failed to meet the deadline.

"Operators refusing to pay royalties would not only pay for using the products but also for their infringement on copyright," says Wang Huapeng, the association's director-general.

The association didn't rule out the possibility of further legal actions against other Beijing-based KTV operators.

At present only about 10 operators out of more than 1,000 Beijing-based karaoke bars pay royalties for the copyrighted audio-video products they use, according to CAVCA.

Last year, 15 provincial-level areas, including Beijing and Guangdong, decided to collect karaoke copyright royalties. The practice has been spreading nationwide. KTV operators must pay a daily charge of up to 12 yuan for each karaoke room for the use of musical and video products.

AFD China Newsletter is intended to provide our clients and friends information only. It should not constitute legal advice of AFD China or any of its attorneys, and AFD China will not be held responsible for any reliance on its contents.