Being the Change: Baidu Report Raises Important Ethical Questions

Over the weekend, The Register ran a special report on Baidu (BIDU), alleging that the Chinese search giant is engaged in technological chicanery in order to keep users plugged into vast and illegal reservoirs of online music (h/t Maths at Music 2.0). The report is here.

Searching for trouble

The report explains - in forensic detail - how Baidu allegedly continues to make money on illegal downloads while maintaining plausible deniability. A taste:

Baidu's MP3 Search was monitored for six months at the end of last year, analyzing search results using 600 songs spread across multiple genre. A number of areas that seemed incongruous to a pure and neutral search engine were discovered, and three details emerged.

Firstly, a network of mysterious sites with closely related domain names contributed more than 50 per cent of the search links returned by Baidu. The songs hosted on the mystery sites were unreachable except through the Baidu search engine. Furthermore, infringement notifications resulted in unlicensed songs simply moving from one of these domains to another.

Secondly, Baidu does not link to the two leading paid download sites in China, 9Sky and Top100. While Google for example will return results for a song search to licensed providers (7Digital, Amazon, eMusic or even iTunes) as well as Torrent trackers, Baidu is much more selective.

Thirdly, music blogs and forums naturally form a significant source of music search links for any search engine. But with Baidu, these contributed to only 30 per cent of the music search links on Baidu’s MP3 Search.

The cumulative effect is to keep the "free music flowing" for Baidu's users - with devastating consequences not just for creators, but for rival internet businesses.

Even more compelling, the report also suggests that Baidu bullies journalists, publications, and websites into silence about its practices by threats and coercion.

In a superb post, Maths, a digital music advocate and avid China-watcher, builds on The Register's report and asks some penetrating ethical questions, suggesting that if the above allegations are proven true, Baidu's advertisers, investors, advocates, and anyone else working with Baidu in its music efforts are soiled by association.

It matters if the cat is white or black

I'm not quite ready argue for Baidu's conviction in the court of public opinion. The Register's report is only a few days old, and I cannot ignore that the company has a list of powerful rivals that grows as it expands its business. Time will tell how valid these allegations are. Their appearance on a global website demands further scrutiny by the music industry, the media and the Chinese authorities.

But let's leave the specific matter of Baidu aside for a moment and examine the larger question.

At what point, we need to ask, does it become unethical to deal with a company that appears to be actively violating the law? Do you take a zero-tolerance approach? Do you wait for a criminal indictment? Do you do your own due-diligence? Or do you simply shrug your shoulders and say "I really don't care what kind of people I do business with, as long as my company makes out on the deal?"

These are not easy questions, but they are an example of the kind of issues a company needs to deal with in advance of doing business in China, or failing that, right now. As I noted in my second post on the iTunes blockage, business in China is a moral and ethical wasteland, so moral quandaries are a part of doing business here. Smart companies address those issues up front with clear guidelines.

As something of a moral absolutist, I know where I'd draw the line, but I recognize that others prefer a more flexible approach. Being a moral relativist in your approach to international business ethics does not mean you don't have ethical standards, however: it just means that every company will have different standards. Each company still needs to draw a line, and you need to be able to justify it not only to local audiences here in China, but to your full range of stakeholders around the world.

Failing to do so puts your reputation - and your business - at the mercy of your least ethical partner.

Why are we here?

More important, such issues also give us a precious opportunity to demonstrate that the presence of our companies in China exerts a positive influence on the healthy development of the country and its economy. Either we come to Rome and do as the Romans, or we show up determined to leave the place better than we found it.

Deciding who we will (and will not) do business with - and under what circumstances - lies at the heart of our effect on China.

Comments

[a-ha:]

That's no secret to Chinese. In the most recent baby formula fiasco, which resulted several baby deaths and thousands of sick babies. The manufacture reported paid Baidu 3M RMB to block any search on that manufacture's link with the problem. Baidu denied it and stated it did not work out an agreement with the manufacture but did not deny it had such "black-out" agreement with other vendors. A Chinese newspaper reported that Baidu only showed negative news about that manufacture after Sept. 12, while Google had over 20,000 links for that news before Sept. 12.

2008 Sep 18 06:00 AM

[Chaser:]

Regardless of this, Baidu.com is representing growing internet advertising market in China, if this is how they do business, then this is how they will continue to function. I'm a little suprised at the stock price and the trending over the last several days/ weeks. I think a turnaround is coming, solely based on the promise this market provides, and the brand that Baidu.com is.

2008 Sep 18 12:37 PM

[notsosmart:]

of course you can trust the chinese.you have doubts? of course you can trust the russians.yuo have doubts?

2008 Sep 18 01:24 PM

[User 86999:]

Good timing on the article - BIDU went up 20% today!

2008 Sep 18 04:37 PM

[Lived in China:]

Hey, when it comes to China, its not only Baidu. Let me just say a couple of things right up front that many Lao Wei's (foreigners) don't know about inner China. First of all, Chinese citizens can NOT own a business for longer than four years! Period. After four years is up, they have the option of either staying on as an employee of the Chinese Government confiscated company, or they can leave to do something else. So, if the China company in question is OLDER than four years, then its OWNED by the Chinese Government! Yes, it is true that some founders do stay on as paid employees and still tell everyone its their company, and that they own it, but they DO NOT. With that said, let me show you one other site where the Chinese Government has allowed the proliferation of IPR violations of its own accord -because the GOVERNMENT OWNS the NETBARS and this particular site. Before you do, you will need to be able to view the Chinese characters. To do this you have to install the language Chinese PRC in your control panel, and then later install the plug-in on the site itself. And it would help if you have someone near you that can read the Chinese as well. But, if you do not have someone like that, do not cry. If you poke around on the site long enough, you will eventually be able to watch whatever movie is currently hot .. and for free. I trust you'll figure it out.

bbsky.com

I've already written Hollywood, it seems no-one cares. I also wrote them regarding DVD sales from Government DVD shops inside China. Complete with videos of the names of the shops (written in English totting it was a governmental agency for the province in big bold letters). Evidently, Hollywood has enough money to ignore direct proof sent to them from me. But, then maybe you'll have more luck.

2008 Sep 20 01:44 AM

[rlirph:]

To Lived In China - It is sad to read your comments. You may want to imply that you have lived in China but your comments reflect how little you know about China. China does have a intellectual piracy problem but I am not aware that if you own the company for four years the government will confiscate it. Please get some education!

2008 Sep 22 11:48 AM

[website:]

When we talk about search engine we should talk about google, I think Baidu can Compete with google yahoo or even facebook a social networking website!

2008 Dec 31 03:45 PM