7 arrested in crackdown on party rooms offering copyright-infringing karaoke sets

Hong Kong customs arrested seven people in a citywide operation targeting party rooms offering karaoke sets with copyright-infringing songs. The operation, code-named "Magpie," occurred between March 16 and the current Wednesday, involving over 100 officers who raided 14 party rooms, a bar, and the homes of two online sellers. Authorities seized 28 suspected illegal karaoke sets and four gaming consoles, estimated to be worth HK$500,000 (US$63,900). The crackdown aimed to combat intellectual property theft related to copyrighted karaoke music. Ng Ka-chun, divisional commander of customs’ intellectual property technology crime investigation, provided details on the operation.