A group of karaoke venues has stumped up part of its first
copyright payment to song writers but said it still doesn't know
how it will compensate makers of music videos that play in
KTVs.
The Shanghai Culture and Entertainment Association, which
represents 500 karaoke companies in the city, remitted the first
300,000 yuan (US$38,462) for last year's copyright fee and is
calculating subsequent payments.
The association represents most of the city's karaoke companies
including Cashbox, Holiday and Melody.
Karaoke firms not in the association must make their own
arrangements to pay the fee.
"The payment shows local karaoke companies are willing to pay
copyright fees following legal procedures. We have never said we
refused to pay copyright fees," said Zhu Nan, deputy
secretary-general of the association.
Last year, karaoke venues were ordered to pay about one yuan a
day for each of their karaoke rooms if they have more than 80
rooms.
The payment goes to the Music Copyright Society of China, an
organization representing the rights and interests of song writers
in China.
In a series of law suits last year, music-video firms also
demanded copyright fees from karaoke venues.
The National Copyright Administration said venues should pay
music-video makers 12 yuan per karaoke room a day, far higher than
the fee paid to song writers. The Audio Visual Management
Association of China is being prepared to collect the fees.
But karaoke venues argue the association has no right to collect
the fee.
"When a legal collector is available, we will further discuss
the payment with it. The maximum is too high for us to bear," Zhu
said.
Shanghai has about 27,000 karaoke rooms.
(CRI.cn April 24, 2007)