THE OLYMPICS ISSUE

disappearance of pirated CDs and DVDs from rounding the Olympics is not a clever way many of Beijing's neighborhood stores. "If to handle the sensitive Chinese govern- there was ever a gold -medal opportunity for ment," one publishing industry source says. the IFPI, record labels and other stake hold- The IFPI "would get a lot more support if ers to wield publicity to their advantage, the they kept quiet now and raised this issue next 30 days is it." after the Olympics." Pressure is also coming from U.S. legisla- Even Liu Ping, legal affairs department di- tors. On June 13, Reps. Adam Schiff, D- Calif, rector for the Music Copyright Society of and Bob Goodlatte, R -Va., co- chairs of the China, which earlier this year filed a copyright - Congressional Interna- infringement lawsuit tional Anti - Piracy Cau- against Baidu, says cus, wrote a letter to the 'An official now is not the time to International Olympic put pressure on Sohu. Committee requesting sponsor should "Both Sohu and that it address alleged in- be above Baidu are very impor- tellectual- piracy abuses tant companies," Liu by Sohu. They note the reproach says. "By only focus- IOC has taken "extraor- ing on Baidu now, we dinary steps" to protect and Sohu- are not saying that The opening ceremony of the 1996 its trademarked symbols there are not other in- Atlanta games at Centennial Sogou is not.' Olympic Stadium, later renamed from being counterfeited fringing companies Turner Field and now home to in China. -LACHIE RUTHERFORD, but we have chosen to baseballs Atlanta Braves. "We believe the con- WARNER MUSIC take things one step tinued facilitation of ASIA PACIFIC at a time." piracy by the operator of The copyright soci- the official Beijing Olympics Web site re- ety has struck a deal with the Beijing Orga- . flects poorly on the Olympics as well as its nizing Committee for the Games under Ato :. . The official corporate sponsors," the letter read. which the latter has agreed to make all re- "We urge you to address this critical issue as quired royalty payments for any music used Infrastructure Legacies soon as possible." during the games. The IOC had not returned repeated re- Insiders, however, remain skeptical that Of Previous Games quests for comment at press time. this will set a wider precedent for Chinese But not everyone is convinced such tactics copyright enforcement -meaning, this is one will work. race that will still be running long after the ATHENS 2004 ATLANTA 1996 "Trying to leverage the publicity sur- Olympics has left town. While most Olympic venues lie Two Olympic venues- Atlanta- derelict pending development de- Fulton County Stadium and the cisions, the games' badminton ATHENS 2004 Omni Arena -have been demol- venue has been buzzing since its CX6) ished, while the centerpiece January 2007 reopening as the 2,440 -capacity Centennial Olympic Stadium Badminton Theater. has become baseball's 53,000- capacity between what we're trying to do to promote the stadium's potential for music events. Most recently, musical "Mamma Mia!" (May Turner Field. This stadium sporadically the value of music and the positive role it can "I don't see any reason at all why we 6 -June 15) preceded U.K. alt- rocker PJ Har- hosts concerts, including Kenny Chesney play in young people's lives and the core val- couldn't turn a 25,000- capacity stadium into vey (June 30). Previously, "no single venue in on July 7. ues of the Cultural Olympiad." one of the major venues of London," he says. Athens could host long- running shows and Centennial Olympic Park has staged sev- Other recent host cities' experience (see story, "It's in the middle of a quite affluent, mul- international touring acts," says Michail eral music festivals and concerts. While those right) suggests that the games' lasting legacy ticultural area; it just needs someone with Adam, director of Arts Dance and Music Pro- are rarer these days, many still consider the will lie among the venues being constructed at vision to run it." ductions, which oversees the theater's day -to- Park to be 1996's greatest legacy. Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. But Matt Woolliscroft, promoter at Man- day management. The park's creation "accelerated exponen- Following the games, organizers say most chester-based SJM, is more cautious. Elsewhere, the Olympic Stadium (72,000 ca- tially downtown Atlanta's renaissance," says of those seven venues will remain in sports "There's plenty of choice already in the pacity) and Olympic Indoor Hall (17,500) oc- Bob Williams, president of the 21,000- capacity use or be rebuilt elsewhere. However, the outdoor London circuit," he says. "It's very casionally stage music events. The latter hosted Philips Arena, which launched opposite the 80,000- capacity Olympic Stadium will become hard to make money out of outdoor shows, the 2006 . park in 1999 and is now one of North America's a 25,000 -seat venue for sports and cultural and 25,000 will be a hard number to make hits the stadium Sept. 27. -Maria Paravantes busiest arenas. -Ray Waddell use. Finding its future tenant is the respon- money from." sibility of mayoral body the London Develop- Other projects include a televised talent SYDNEY 2000 BARCELONA 1992 s..w,,- ment Agency, where a spokesman confirms search for a national band to perform at the "The Olympics gave Sydney some Barcelona's central Olympic that "the [stadium] business plan opening ceremony and live music in cracking venues," says Don Elford, indoor arena is its music busi- nQ9 would include music events." Olympic Park, plus a free concert in GM of business development at ness' main souvenir of 1992. The 24,000 - That would give east London the Hyde Park on the eve of the games. the 21,000- capacity Acer Arena. capacity arena "opened up outdoor venue for major acts it cur- The aim of this music /sport in- The arena is one of 10 games venues stag- Barcelona as a key venue on major world rently lacks. Most stadium shows take terface, Wadsworth says, is "cele- ing 1,800 events annually in Sydney's Olympic tours," Live Nation Spain promoter Pino place at Wembley (northwest Lon- brating British culture, inspiring Park, including the 83,500 -capacity ANZ Sta- Sagliocco says. don) and Twickenham (southwest). and involving young people and generating dium, which has hosted , Madonna's Drowned World tour "Any good new venues will be welcome," a positive legacy." and . Acer Arena itself has at- opened there in 2001, and it has also says booking agent John Giddings of Lon- But Hearn warns that the city needs some- tracted the Stones, , the record in- hosted the 2002 MTV Europe Music don -based Solo, which represents Madonna thing more concrete to show for its Olympics dustry's annual Australian Record Industry Awards, U2, and . Bruce and the Rolling Stones. Artists would "ab- expenditure. Assn. Awards and the MTV Australia Awards. Springsteen recorded his "Live in solutely" be interested in playing the sta- Otherwise, he says, "you've had your four Other Olympic Park sites include Sydney Barcelona" DVD there. dium, he adds. weeks of fun and everyone's said what a won- Showground, hosting the annual 45,000 -ca- The 60,000- capacity Olympic Stadium, One front -runner for the tenancy is local derful place London is ... but what have you pacity Big Day Out festival, and the Newing- built in 1929 and refurbished for 1992, has soccer club Leyton Orient, whose chairman really got out of it ?" ton Armory complex, the venue for the recently hosted the Rolling Stones, the Po- Barry Hearn is a veteran promoter of profes- 4,000- capacity Great Escape and Acoustica at lice and Bon Jovi. Madonna plays there sional boxing and snooker. He enthuses about Additional reporting by Torn Ferguson. the Armory festivals. -Christie Eliezer Sept. 18. -Howell Llewellyn

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