New Korea Copyright Laws Aims To Stop Illegal Sharing Of Music/shows Options

[Honey_KizZ]

New Law In Korea Means Google Bans The Uploading Of Music On Any Blog
from the life-without-safe-harbors dept

While some in the copyright community feel that things like the DMCA safe harbors are bad, it's worth watching what happens in situations where they don't exist. South Korea just changed its copyright law, such that sites that don't filter for copyrighted material can potentially be liable. So, what is the response? Google is now forbidding the uploading of any music files to avoid liability and possible shut down under the law (the law is a three strikes law that doesn't just apply to users, but to sites that the users use) (found via Techmeme). Lucas Gonze does a good job laying out the damage this causes:

The problem is not the freedom to use copyrighted content. I don't know of any such freedom. The problem is the right to play.

A guitar teacher will be unable to post lessons, and a guitar student will be unable to post homework. Two musicians working together at a distance will be unable to share unfinished multitracks. An unsigned classical quartet will be unable to post samples of their work. Only the tiny few who work on commercially published recordings will still be able to be heard, and even only the small proportion of their recordings that are completed commercial works will be heard.

Most musicians are amateurs with no financial interest in copyright. The proportion of amateurs to professionals is so overwhelming that the word "musician" is a synonym for "amateur." Whenever copyright is wielded on behalf of the professionals in a way that makes it harder for amateurs to make music, it is hurting musicians.

Oh, and don't forget, the entire reason why South Korea is suddenly putting in place draconian, self-damaging, protectionist, copyright policies is because the entertainment industry went on a huge lobbying campaign claiming that South Korea was a haven for piracy, and then had the US gov't include requirements for much more stringent copyright laws in a free trade agreement -- despite the fact it was about the opposite of free trade. The entire purpose wasn't free trade, but protectionism of the US entertainment industry. Soon after that passed, we noted that it would require shutting down any service that permitted unauthorized reproduction... and we're seeing the impact of that now.

South Korea has been a leader in internet technologies. It had real broadband (both wired and wireless) to nearly every home well before almost every other country. As such, it has a thriving internet industry... but it has also had a thriving entertainment industry made up of execs who embraced the internet. Folks like JY Park, who recognizes that selling music directly is the past, but by embracing that fact, is building a media empire. But, of course, the folks back in Hollywood don't want to compete and don't want to change... so they got the US gov't to force South Korea to put in place these ridiculous copyright laws that help them and harm pretty much everyone else.

source: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090528/0226545039.shtml

another source:

Korean TV networks take aim at P2P pirates
Friday 29 May 2009 | 02:47 PM CET
Korean television networks are upping their offensive against peer-to-peer pirates, threatening legal action should file-sharing sites fail to remove illegal videos from their networks, the Korea Times reported. The internet units of the country's three national television channels KBS, MBC and SBS jointly issued a warning to 79 peer-to-peer and ``Web hard'' online storage services they accuse of being the most severe copyright violators. The letter, dispatched through Seoul-based law firm, Yoon Yang Kim Shin & Yu, which represents the television stations, predicts a ``large scale'' of lawsuits against internet companies that fail to introduce effective measures to prevent users from sharing illegal copies of television shows. The 79 Internet companies named by the television networks include Nate operator SK Communications and Cyworld. Also on the list is Mgoon, an online video service, and file-sharing services such as Nowcom, which was also sued by a movie industry lobby last year, Wedisk, Endisk and Idisk, operated by Paran, a search engine and portal. The television networks sent similar warnings to seven peer-to-peer and web hard companies in January. The television networks' strengthened action comes at a time when the government has been pushing a clampdown on illegal online content. From July, the country will enforce a new anti-file sharing provision that allows regulators to shut down web sites after a third warning over copyright infringement, regardless of whether or not the copyright holders complained about it.

source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/


i've seen this news on other sites, i hope that it isnt true...

[Choco Pie]

This is how narrow-minded Koreans are.

The kneel under the crumbs of white Americans.

[pam]

If this law is going to put into action and seems like it will, the Korean entertainment industry is going down the drain, internationally at least.
The one major reason why Korean entertainment is so popular is all thanks to the distribution of sharing performances and music online. So without it, I can see this industry popularity going down because people are going to move on to the next best thing. People who haven't been introduced to the Korean entertainment industry will probably never will because there isn't any video online about it that will catch their attention and the people that have been introduced to this entertainment industry will slowly but surely will loose interest in it because of the lacks of their favorite celeb.s videos online to watch, thus create no excitement which equal lack of interest.

[edmame]

DVD and rental markets for K-MOVIES do need protection.
now the TV networks are just being impractical.
are they seriously gonna english-sub daily sitcoms and
put them on 10-disc boxsets?

[maharu.]

Damn, don't they know and think about people who can only watch online?
I mean I don't agree with the ideal of sharing illegal music but how else can it introduce new people to new stuff?

Plus, it's the ent. businesses job to think of a new way to cater this generation.
CDs and such worked before the internet and these sharing sites became big.
Now CDs are becoming a hassle and it becomes expensive after you continue buying for only a few tracks.



But I hope google won't start banning though >_<

[winged_monster]

I would think that with Korea's national branding, the entertainment industry would do what they can to give international fans access to kpop, since it's one of the biggest reasons why foreigners pay attention to Korea instead of other East Asian countries. They even changed their Korea! Sparkling campaign to the new ads with SNSD,SuJu, and DBSK. Those ads were good because many foreigners know who they are. What's the point in having them cameo in that commercial if no foreigners know who they are? They're just shooting themselves in the foot.

[Mannosuke]

Don't worry, when you need warez, just go to a chinese site.

[FTI&CNB]

my friend told me about this yesterday
and she also say you can't even post lyrics from the artist.
beside lyrics, I heard no posting screencap either.
thats so strict.
so shes making her daum blog private now and moving
to some other blog that isnt korean v_v
I dont know what to say.

[suju_x_dbsk495]

NOOO!!!! how am i suppose to download music now?
-sigh- i hope they lift this ban later on....
ugh so much for korean music going international

-edit-
wait the comments say its from May o.o
so i guess it's still okay...?

[Becca*]

That is so stupid
none of us overseas would have access to any of this if it weren't for illegal sharing
they can expect a mega drop of fans from overseas...
How did they think the 'Korean Wave' to got so big?

[Choco Pie]

I think we should petition this.

Anyone know how to create a petition.

We should boycott all Korean TV dramas and shows. Who's with me?

[caymicah]

NOOO!!!!!!!! wtf?!
how can we watch dramas, vraiety shows and performance of the artists in south korea?!
how can we DL musics?!
WHAT!?
can somebody explain it further...
i think this law will make a big change to south korea's popularity and industry....

but i think it will be OK if THEY will give us a subbed video [i doubt it] so its their own
THEY will the one that provide where we can watch their programs online fro international fans or something....

[Choco Pie]

Let's boycott all Korean products.

Korean needs to jung sheen cha ryuh.

[twinkle_l0ve]

If this actually gets enforced, the Korean music industry will crumble

[cinjin]

wtf! How do they expect oversea fans to watch their shows or listen to their music?! Do they want us to all move to Korea or something??
Korean entertainment will go down if this law is enforced. The only reason why many Korean artists can make it big in America is thanks to international/oversea fans :/
Do they expect they'll be as successful without fans oversea?

[janers]

they just haven't found a balance between sharing free albums/shows/etc online and physical sales of products in store..i definitely don't blindly buy albums/concerts unless i've heard it and its really good..i like to sample first..and there's no way i'd be into that if i couldn't watch free eng subbed stuff online on sites..how else do you develop your fan base quickly..i think the corporations only see if from their end, which is just to make money off sales, that there are millions of fans around the world who file share online and that's how the stars truly get all their exposure..it doesn't matter how many universities or variety shows you appear on if you don't have an audience, esp for the stars that want to make it internationally..its a catch 22 right now..

[Tao]

This is how narrow-minded Koreans are.

The kneel under the crumbs of white Americans.

I find this a tad racist... either that or you just like stereotyping.

[Sweet_Asian819]

You have got to be kidding me T___T
This kind of news just ticks me off >__<

[AiGOO!]

ditto to janers
lets see where the entertainment business goes...

[Mannosuke]

ditto to janers
lets see where the entertainment business goes...

It'll die, and we can all enjoy some CSI. Who needs korean entertainment?