Chinese version of Parents' Guide to p2p and Legal Downloading launched
Hong Kong authorities team up with IFPI to promote guide
Hong Kong, 18th May 2006
IFPI Hong Kong Group has partnered with the government's Intellectual Property Department (IPD) to launch its parents' guide to music on the internet in Chinese.
Young People, Music and the Internet provides parents with a jargon-free explanation of internet terms such as 'peer-to-peer', 'file-sharing' and 'downloading'. It also alerts them to the dangers posed by computer viruses that are prevalent on many computer networks that are used to swap music files illegally.
IFPI, which represents the recording industry worldwide, also produced the guide to explain how families can obtain music legally on the internet and keep their children safe and legal when using computers. IFPI Hong Kong Group believes parents have a crucial role to play in curbing internet piracy, something it re-iterated recently when involved in legal action against the parents of heavy illegal file-sharers.
The guide has already been translated into seven languages and distributed in 21 countries around the world. Thanks to the support from the IPD the Chinese language version is available from 84 outlets in Hong Kong - 64 public libraries and 20 of the Home Affairs Department's District Offices.
Leong May-Seey, IFPI's Regional Director for Asia, says: "We are delighted that the Hong Kong authorities are helping us distribute this parents' guide. Many people do not know what their children do on the family computer and may find themselves in trouble with the law if their children are involved in illegal activities, such as sharing music files without the rightholders' consent."
The parents' guide was co-produced with Childnet International, a non-profit organisation that works to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. Online Chinese language versions of the guide can be downloaded from the IFPI or IPD websites.
Download Chinese version of the guide
Download English version of the guide
For further information please contact:
Adrian Strain or Alex Jacob, IFPI Communications
Tel. +44 (0)207 878 7935, email: alex.jacob@ifpi.org
To request hard copies of the leaflet (Chinese) email main@ifpihk.org
To request hard copies of the leaflet (English) email parents@ifpi.org
To request copies of the illustrations used in the leaflet email laura.childs@ifpi.org
Notes to Editors
About IFPI
IFPI is the organisation that promotes the interests of the international recording industry worldwide. Its membership comprises over 1400 major and independent companies in more than 70 countries. It also has affiliated industry national groups in 48 countries. IFPI's mission is to fight music piracy; promote fair market access and good copyright laws; help develop the legal conditions and the technologies for the recording industry to prosper in the digital era; and to promote the value of music.
About Childnet International
Childnet International is a registered charity, (no 1080173) set up in 1995 - with the mission to work in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. The organisation seeks to take a balanced view of the issues of children and the Internet and is active in seeking to promote the positive ways in which the Internet can be used by children for social benefit. For example see www.childnetacademy.org. Childnet is also involved in responding to the negative aspects of children's use of new media and has been involved in developing award-winning education and awareness programmes such as its www.kidsmart.org.uk for schools. For full information about the charity see www.childnet-int.org
About Pro-Music
Pro-Music is an international music sector education campaign about digital music. This guide is supported by pro-music member organisations representing musicians, performers, artists, major and independent record companies, publishers and retailers across the music industry. The Pro-music alliance was set up in 2003 to help improve understanding of copyright on the internet and to promote the legitimate online music sector.