Posting CD cover on line, accused of infringing copyrights ‘KURO’ has been acquitted, IFPI wants an appeal

A renowned file sharing website ‘KURO’ – Music.com.Inc- has been accused of posting singers’ album-covers on the websites without any authorizations or approvals by 13 record companies such as ‘Rockmusic’, and suspected of infringing copyrights. A professional tribunal in Taipei district Court, specialized in Intellectual Property Rights, has been handling this case up until now the case is closed. The appeals panel has acquitted ‘KURO’ on April 23. The chief secretary, Mr. Lee, Ruei-Bin (李瑞斌), has indicated that they will appeal upon receipt of the written judgment.

The appeals panel believes that the purpose of KURO’s carrying singers’ album covers are for publicity, advertising the products they sell on the website and to easily help them to get to know those music composers and performers along with the music they put in, not like duplicating the covers of music albums for promoting the sale of their or other people’s products, in which they found it justifiable, thus did not violate Intellectual Property Law and criminal sanctions. As for ‘KURO’ – Music.com.Inc.’s establishing P2P platform and swapping music files with other registered members by peer to peer interaction, through providers’ providing net service and distribute files directly with others, providing the consumers to down MP3 music, it has been accused by many record companies of infringing music copyrights and this case is still under investigation by Taipei District Court. (2003.04)

CYJ/SH