Google has launched a music search service in China that will give users access to free downloads of licensed songs, while capturing advertising revenue for music providers in a market rife with piracy.
The service poses a challenge to Baidu.com which dominates China’s Internet search market but has, along with other Chinese search providers, faced lawsuits charging that it facilitates copyright violations through downloads of unlicensed music.
Google said on Wednesday its service would initially let Internet users search tens of thousands of Chinese songs by singer or song title on its website and download them from Top100.cn, a Chinese music website co-founded by basketball star Yao Ming.
Advertising revenue from the service will be shared among Top100.cn and its music partners.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has estimated that more than 99 percent of all music files distributed in China are pirated.
Rock on, dudes! Though I’m still a big fan of Baidu.
Great free music, but no free people.
Thanks for the hypocrisy there Google!
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Yup. Every company doing business in every nation must first be passed by the morality censor. I wonder if our own government would pass? Or the UK? Or Italy?
In fact, I wonder how much of a hypocrite whiners are on a daily basis? Where are their shoes made? Their computer? Their cellphone?
Hypocrites unite. You have nothing to lose but your honesty. And maybe your shoes.
#1 Reminds me of a client I had who owned a really nice Yamaha cruiser – but, his dad was dumping on him all the time for owning a “riceburner”.
We finally took his father to the mechanic side of the local Harley dealership and sat him down with the lead wrench. Who patiently explained to him that if he took every Chinese or Japanese part off of any Harley on the floor, he’d be left with a very heavy scooter – to push around the countryside.