Record Labels Sue Chinese Sites to Block Illegal Music

Major record labels are suing two Chinese websites that allegedly allow illegal music downloads in a case that could have a huge impact on the way the Chinese obtain music.  The groundbreaking multi-million dollar case over copyright infringement could pave the way for even larger claims, the Wall Street Journal reports. Spokesmen for the two websites insist they’re not responsible for content they don’t host.

Companies including Sony BMG, Warner and Universal are suing Baidu.com Inc. for $9 million and are seeking $7.5 million from Sogou, a service run by Sohu.com. The music companies hope the case will convince such sites to severe links to illegal downloads. More than half of China’s 225 million internet users get music illegally, and analysts say a certain amount of free music is inevitable in China’s future. (More music downloads stories.)