Grooveshark in the dock: the music streaming service versus the record labels
Groveshark has faced a series of court cases over alleged copyright infringement, with record labels accusing the service of being uncooperative, sometimes even of uploading tracks, and seeking to shut it down. With EMI, Sony, Universal, and Warner all fighting the service in the US courts, other rights holders have begun the attack elsewhere. We're keeping track of the saga right here.
Recording industry threatens YouTube and other music services after copyright law snafu
An important legal protection that defends websites like YouTube from being held liable for user-generated copyright infringement has been called into question by a New York state appellate court. Since the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) passed in 1998, companies have been protected under a provision known as "safe harbor" that makes them unaccountable for such content until they becomes aware of it. But now, courts disagree on whether that safe harbor applies to audio recordings...
EMI files lawsuit against Grooveshark over unfulfilled payments once again
After finding itself under fire during a licensing suit back in January, Grooveshark is in trouble with EMI yet again. According to CNET, EMI has filed suit against the music streaming service for its failure to provide sales records and make monthly licensing payments, as outlined by a September 2009 agreement. EMI had actually terminated its contract with Grooveshark in March of this year, but the company continued to distribute the label's music through the service.
Grooveshark previously...
Policy & Law
Grooveshark wins DMCA argument in dispute with Universal Music
A judge has handed controversial music streaming service Grooveshark a major win in a dispute with record label Universal Music, rejecting an argument which would make Grooveshark responsible for determining the copyright status of all pre-1972 recordings. Arguing in a New York court, Universal had attempted to claim that safe harbor provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) do not apply to recordings made before 1972, as the recordings were not covered by federal copyright...
Policy & Law
Grooveshark loses EMI contract, its last major label partner
EMI has terminated its contract with Grooveshark, leaving the music streaming service with an uncertain future without support from any major label and pending lawsuits from all four of them, including EMI. The news of the termination comes by way of CNET, and in a statement Grooveshark confirmed the separation:
Grooveshark was recently forced to make the difficult decision to part ways with EMI due to EMI’s currently unsustainable streaming rates and EMI’s pending merger with Universal...
Web & Social
Danish ISP 3 forced to block access to Grooveshark
More bad news for Grooveshark today: a court in Denmark has ruled that both the streaming music service and its users are infringing the copyright of record labels, resulting in an injunction forcing mobile ISP 3 Denmark to block the site. The lawsuit mirrors the allegations of copyright infringement the service is facing in the US, with Universal, EMI, Sony, and Warner alleging that Grooveshark hosts illegal copies of music and is unresponsive to takedown notices. The scale of the Danish...
Policy & Law
EMI sues Grooveshark over licensing dispute
EMI has just become the latest of four major labels to sue streaming music service Grooveshark. The label had previously sued for copyright infringement, but ended up settling with Grooveshark in 2009 and licensing its music to the service. Now, however, it's saying that Grooveshark has "made not a single royalty payment to EMI, nor provided a single accounting statement." Grooveshark has allegedly estimated its debts at $150,000, but EMI says the actual amount is much higher.
In the last few...
Sony, Warner join Universal's lawsuit against Grooveshark
Grooveshark is no stranger to lawsuits, but the company may be facing its biggest battle yet — Sony and Warner this week joined in a lawsuit with Universal Music that seems clearly aimed at wiping the music service off the map. Universal filed the original copyright infringement lawsuit in November, alleging that Grooveshark executives personally uploaded illegal songs to the site. With Sony and Warner backing the suit, it effectively pits the entire inudstry against Grooveshark.
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