Hong Kong industry is stepping up clampdown on transferring movies and music from the Internet, and is determined to fight on until such behavior is eradicated.

 

"Even if just one song or one movie was uploaded, we will still go after them," said Richy Fung Tim-chee, head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Hong Kong Group.

 

He warned that thousands of small businesses across Hong Kong are running the risk of prosecution because employees are increasingly using office computers to illegally download music and movies due to a fast connection, high bandwidth and less risk of detection.

 

If illegal downloading of movies or music is traced to a company or organization it could lead to the prosecution of the business owner and not necessarily an employee, even if the business owner is a computer illiterate, Fung said.

 

Hong Kong's broadband penetration was among the highest in the world, making it relatively quick and easy to carry out illegal activities.

 

Last November, 38-year-old Chan Nai-ming was sentenced to three months' jail for using the BitTorrent program to upload movie content, the world's first BitTorrent user convicted of piracy. The IFPI was the driving force behind the prosecution.

 

Since then, IFPI Hong Kong has posted more than 30,000 warnings to home and office computer users making illegal downloads that the industry would continue pursuing people who infringe copyright.

 

The Hong Kong movie industry recently obtained a court order to retrieve from Internet service providers the identities of 49 users who had illegally uploaded or downloaded local movies with BitTorrent software despite complaints about private data infringements. The industry plans to take them to court for piracy.

 

Aside from taking legal actions against internet-piracy, the industry is also considering cooperation with program owners to provide computer users with legitimate downloading.

 

BitTorrent's co-founder and president, Ashwin Navin, said Saturday at Cannes Film festival that the company had been negotiating with various film companies in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland about the possibility of launching a service, allowing computer users to download movies and music by charging fees.

 

Navin had spoken to several Hong Kong film companies and "they've been very receptive." Navin said, "If there's a way for them to protect their films and distribute their films legally, making the money they are not making now, I think there's mutual interest for BitTorrent and the Hong Kong film industry."

 

He said he hoped the service could be done this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2006)