The Chinese mainland's first criminal case for violating music copyrights is attracting widespread attention as a precedent for enforcing compliance on small, privately run websites.

The defendant surnamed Wang, who once worked in network management at an Internet firm, started a music portal with rented severs four years ago offering about 100,000 songs for download, most of them without authorization, according to court records.

The portal's business expanded with daily visits growing from fewer than 100 to more than 10,000.

The rising number of users attracted advertisers, earning Wang more than 4,000 yuan a month.

But not only advertisers were paying attention. The International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) wrote to the Ministry of Culture requesting an investigation of the website.

The provincial cultural department collected evidence requested by the IFPI, which listed 667 songs illegally offered for download.

Wang was convicted of criminal copyright infringement and sentenced to one-year's probation.

(Source: China Daily)