China's southwestern city of Chongqing published its standards for KTV copyright fees on Monday, a local newspaper of the city reported. Chongqing will begin to collect fees soon after publishing the standard, Tong Junlin, principal of the Chongqing Interface Location of the National Copyright Administration (NCA), said.

The city has established standards dictating urban KTV clubs pay 12 yuan per KTV room per day, while suburban clubs will pay 8 yuan. It is based on the national standard of 12 yuan per KTV room per day published by the NCA last December and varies according to the level of urban and suburban economic development, Tong added.

Chongqing Interface Location has completed the first phase of preparations, including accumulating statistical data for the city's KTV clubs for fee collecting. KTV clubs established before January 1 this year will be expected to pay fees dating from January 1. Newly opened clubs will pay from the date their business licenses were issued.

Some KTV club owners have promised that they would not pass the fees down to their customers since it was a way of showing respect for the work of musicians and intellectual property rights.

(CRI.cn March 13, 2007)