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PIRACY REIGNS AS HOT MIDEM TOPIC
February 1, 2003 | Billboard By Gordon Masson
Also significant was the presence of the Chinese, who visited MIDEM for the very first time to deliver the message that China's music market is open and ready to welcome foreign investors to capitalize on the potential of the world's most populous country.
Daxin Zhao, GM of state-owned China Record Corp. (CRC), said his nation's
acceptance in the World Trade Organization has led to strengthened copyright laws.
The government is actively seeking foreign investors to drive China's music industry.
Pulay Talent Agency chairman Gary Chen said, The music industry is a numbers game,
and one thing that China has is huge numbers. But Chen added that China is missing two vital
ingredients: specialist retailers and music publishers. He said, There are tremendous opportunities
for foreign partners in these sectors.
In a related development, Los Angeles-based consulting and licensing company AIM signed a joint venture at MIDEM with CRC to market the Chinese label's 60.000 title catalog in the U.S. and Europe.
Meanwhile, U.K. trip-hop band Morcheeba confirmed plans to tour China. The move follows an invitation
from cultural-relations body the British Council, which is launching a series of arts events in China.
Morcheeba's eight-date tour begins March 3 with two free shows in Chongqing (see Global Music Pulse, page 55).
Commenting on China's fledging music market, MIDEM CEO Paul Zilk said, The Chinese are delighted to be here. It's their first time, but they've already put forward a proposal to us to consider taking the MIDEM brand to Shanghai. We've also received a similar proposal from Jamaica, and it's a proposal I would like to explore taking the MIDEM brand around the world.
Zilk reported that overall attendance at this year's MIDEM was down from last year's 9,000 to between
8,700 and 8,800. The number of countries here fell to 92 from 94 last year, but encouragingly, the number of U.S.
companies was up 7.8% to 2,140, an increase of 155 companies from last year.
We've also had more Americans than last year, Zilk said, with the total number U.S. companies up by 17% to 617,
while Canada and Australia also had healthy increases of 24% and 33% respectively.
The music industry is going through a tough time, but the feedback I've had from people this year at MIDEM is that they are all still signing deals and doing business, Zilk concluded. And I don't believe that MIDEM as an event has hit its potential, so we'll continue working hard with our partners in the city of Cannes to improve our service to our clients and create better value for the music industry going forward.
Additional reporting by Lars Brandle, Paul Sexton, and Emmanuel Legrand in Cannes
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