Computer illiterate father sued for music piracy

A single, unemployed father of four is being sued by seven record companies for internet music piracy, according to Hong Kong's Sunday Morning Post. 54-year-old Yeung Chun-Choi, however, attests that he doesn't even know how to turn on his computer.

Among the companies suing the widower for copyright infringement are Sony BMG, Universal Music and Warner Music Hong Kong, who claim unspecified damages from him, alleging he used WinMX software to illegally upload and download music. Chun-Choi believes his 15- and 16-year-old daughters may be responsible: "I hope they will understand that I don't know what my children are doing on the computer".

Chun-Choi lives off state benefits, and explained that the computer was given to the family by social services and used by his children for homework. The case comes as a result of a piracy crackdown last year by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. It's the first legal action of its kind in Hong Kong, and comes on the back of the first criminal conviction in the world for uploading movies, also in Hong Kong.