According to Ma, the China Association for Music Copyright has voiced great concern regarding the downloading of MP3 music. However, only 10 Web sites have stopped offering MP3 downloading services to date, according to the story. Many others most of which are personal Web sites continue to offer copyrighted music for downloading. In Ma s opinion, Napster s defeat is a death sentence for online services that enable music copyright infringement worldwide. Most domestic music Web sites will close within a year, according to Ma.
Music channels maintained by portal Web sites account for a few additional sites.
The vast majority of music sites are actually individual home pages. In a stricter legal environment, these individual home pages stand little chance for survival. Copyright infringement charges would deal a heavy blow to individuals who do not publish their Web sites for profit. According to the association, to legally disseminate music online, a Web site must sign agreements with the relevant agents in charge of music copyrights and royalties. These agents include the China Association for Music Copyright and the various record companies and individuals who hold the copyrights to pieces of music.