MyWeb in dark over piracy writ from music firms

Mainland-based MyWeb, the Web site facing legal action from some of the world's leading recording companies, has denied it illegally offers music files over the Internet, and say it has not even received a writ.

Last week, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said EMI, Warner Music, Universal Music International, Sony Music and China Record Guangzhou were issuing two writs against mainland-based Web sites.

MyWeb, however, said it had not received any official details of the action.

MyWeb chief executive officer T.S. Wong said the company, 'which believes in and supports' intellectual property rights, was 'very surprised' to hear about the allegations through a South China Morning Post report.

The IFPI alleges in a writ lodged in a Beijing court that MyWeb illegally offers 12,000 music files, known as MP3 files, to its Web-site visitors.

The legal action, which makes similar allegations against mainland Web site Tekson, will be a landmark case as there is no provision in mainland copyright law for unlicensed distribution of music over the Internet.

The IFPI hopes the action will expose loopholes in the law and make an example to an estimated 200 other Web sites it claims are distributing MP3 files without authorisation.