Reports from China have said that Google will start a music search engine there, according to Vnunet. That will put it in direct competition with China’s biggest search company, Baidu, whose own music search has proved very popular with people looking for MP3s.
When it began, Baidu’s music search proved popular internationally, but after record industry legal challenges, the company is blocking foreign access. Earlier this year the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry claimed China’s entire music business was a "blatant violation of copyright laws" and has called on advertisers to boycott Baidu as it launches new legal action against the company, along with Yahoo China and Sohu.
Some sources have claimed Google’s service will begin in two weeks, but another source has said that although Google China has confirmed it will move into the music search market, it won’t do so until it has approval from record labels.
