Taiwan star Jay Chou to use mainland Chinese law to stop rumours

Taiwanese singer Jay Chou's agency will make use of the mainland's controversial new law to stop online rumours to stamp out the circulation of unfounded information about the star.

JVR Music said yesterday it would take legal action against anyone circulating rumours about the singer on the mainland in accordance with an interpretation of laws to control online information issued this month by the mainland's top court and prosecution body.

"Since 2006, there have been a number of boring, unfounded and absurd rumours about Chou, such as stories told to the Japanese media that he was a Japanese descendant or about him not being a charitable person," a JVR official said by phone.

She said that Chou originally did not care about these fabrications, but that recent rumours about him circulating online and through text messages had turned malicious and had seriously damaged his image.

"The company thus decided to seize upon the September judicial interpretation, hoping to put an end to such absurd online rumours," the official said.

She said Juicy Music, which represents Chou on the mainland, would also keep an eye on such rumours on the mainland and take legal action accordingly.