The Verge - Grooveshark in the dock: the music streaming service versus the record labelshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52801/VER_Logomark_32x32..png2014-10-01T12:59:40-04:00http://www.theverge.com/rss/stream/25787312014-10-01T12:59:40-04:002014-10-01T12:59:40-04:00Music labels get huge victory in quest to sue Grooveshark out of business
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<p>It appears Grooveshark's days are just about numbered. The music sharing service has been dealt what could easily amount to a death blow by a US District Court judge, which found that Grooveshark's own employees personally (and willfully) violated and profited from copyright infringement. It's been a long saga; Grooveshark has <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/21/2814690/grooveshark-lawsuit-court-case-international">faced lawsuit after lawsuit in recent years</a>. It's managed to overcome some by striking deals with publishers, but vengeful music labels haven't given up on sinking the company.</p>
<p>Most recently, Grooveshark had tried to seek protection under the "safe harbor" provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It took on a Google-like approach when responding to takedown notices by taking down unauthorized files...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/1/6880735/labels-get-huge-victory-in-grooveshark-lawsuit">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/1/6880735/labels-get-huge-victory-in-grooveshark-lawsuitChris Welch2013-08-28T14:51:46-04:002013-08-28T14:51:46-04:00Grooveshark settles with Sony / ATV Music Publishing as it struggles toward legitimacy
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<img alt="Grooveshark app in Google Play store" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W7fx8Z7IWNqjDKTqHVMQ44MXSus=/3x0:1016x675/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1320215/grooveshark_googleplay__1020.jpg" />
<figcaption>Grooveshark app in Google Play store</figcaption>
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<p>The streaming music service Grooveshark has been a legal punching bag for almost the entire music industry, but the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grooveshark-signs-licensing-agreement-with-sonyatv-music-publishing-221376471.html">company has announced an agreement</a> that will address at least one subset of its legal concerns. Grooveshark has signed a settlement and licensing deal with Sony / ATV Music Publishing that will put the legal battle between the two companies to rest, and will also see Sony / ATV's catalog added to Grooveshark's offerings. In a statement, Grooveshark CEO Sam Tarantino said that "We are excited to add Sony / ATV Music's impressive array of songwriters to our catalog further advancing our mission to empower creators with the best audio platform in the world."</p>
<p>Despite the lofty rhetoric, it's the second such deal that...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/28/4668442/grooveshark-settles-with-sony-atv-music-publishing-as-it-struggles-towards-legitimacy">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/28/4668442/grooveshark-settles-with-sony-atv-music-publishing-as-it-struggles-towards-legitimacyBryan Bishop2013-08-06T08:30:03-04:002013-08-06T08:30:03-04:00Grooveshark settles EMI Publishing lawsuit, still faces uncertain future
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<img alt="Grooveshark app in Google Play store" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W7fx8Z7IWNqjDKTqHVMQ44MXSus=/3x0:1016x675/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1320215/grooveshark_googleplay__1020.jpg" />
<figcaption>Grooveshark app in Google Play store</figcaption>
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<p>Grooveshark, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/21/2814690/grooveshark-lawsuit-court-case-international">the oft-sued streaming music service</a>, appears to be putting some of its legal troubles behind it. The company is expected to announce, perhaps as early as this week, that it has signed a licensing agreement with EMI Music Publishing after first settling their legal differences. In September, EMI accused Grooveshark of breach of contract and copyright violations.</p>
<p>This is the latest development in Grooveshark's ongoing legal saga with the top record companies. Seemingly every year, we see Grooveshark license music, then stop paying, and then get sued again. The company enables users to post songs that other listeners can access. Often the songs are pirated and the music companies have to ask Grooveshark managers to take them...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/2013/8/6/4592346/grooveshark-settles-emi-publishing-lawsuit-still-faces-uncertain">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/policy/2013/8/6/4592346/grooveshark-settles-emi-publishing-lawsuit-still-faces-uncertainGreg Sandoval2013-04-25T21:57:04-04:002013-04-25T21:57:04-04:00Recording industry threatens YouTube and other music services after copyright law snafu
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<p>An important legal protection that defends websites like YouTube from being held liable for user-generated copyright infringement <a href="http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=historical" target="_blank">has been called into question</a> 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 created before 1972.</p>
<p><q class="right">Confusion in the courts</q></p>
<p>In a case between <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/11/3151127/grooveshark-dmca-universal-music">Universal Music Group and the music streaming service Grooveshark</a>, the court ruled that the DMCA-granted protections do not cover sound recordings that were made before 1972, which as the...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/25/4266184/grooveshark-umg-judge-rules-digital-millenium-copyright-act-1972-audio">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/25/4266184/grooveshark-umg-judge-rules-digital-millenium-copyright-act-1972-audioJacob Kastrenakes2012-09-06T05:26:08-04:002012-09-06T05:26:08-04:00EMI files lawsuit against Grooveshark over unfulfilled payments once again
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<img alt="Grooveshark on Chrome OS" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5olUZ6WqXf9nvu-8l89sa2ClHS8=/34x0:1066x688/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1232534/screenshot-20120711-124434.png" />
<figcaption>Grooveshark on Chrome OS</figcaption>
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<p>After finding itself under fire during a <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/6/2685974/emi-grooveshark-lawsuit-licensing-dispute">licensing suit back in January</a>, Grooveshark is in trouble with EMI yet again. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57506524-93/new-lawsuit-adds-to-groovesharks-troubles/?part=rss" target="_blank">According to <i>CNET</i></a>, 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 <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/3/2924021/emi-contract-grooveshark-music-streaming-service/in/2578731">terminated its contract</a> with Grooveshark in March of this year, but the company continued to distribute the label's music through the service.</p>
<p>Grooveshark previously <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/11/3151127/grooveshark-dmca-universal-music">won a dispute against Universal Music</a> using the DMCA's safe harbor provision — which protects hosting sites from liability for user-uploaded content that violates copyrights — although EMI is confident that it will not be applicable in this case....</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2012/9/6/3294163/emi-grooveshark-licensing-lawsuit-again">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2012/9/6/3294163/emi-grooveshark-licensing-lawsuit-againJustin Rubio2012-07-11T08:40:33-04:002012-07-11T08:40:33-04:00Grooveshark wins DMCA argument in dispute with Universal Music
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<img alt="Grooveshark on Chrome OS" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5olUZ6WqXf9nvu-8l89sa2ClHS8=/34x0:1066x688/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1232534/screenshot-20120711-124434.png" />
<figcaption>Grooveshark on Chrome OS</figcaption>
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<p>A judge has handed controversial music streaming service Grooveshark a major win in a dispute with record label Universal Music, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.docstoc.com/docs/124120333/grooveshark-umg">rejecting an argument</a> 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 law at the time of their creation.</p>
<p>It's a flimsy argument — as <i>Techdirt</i> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120710/14283519650/judge-rejects-key-universal-music-argument-legal-fight-with-grooveshark.shtml">points out</a>, it "failed spectacularly" when EMI attempted to use it against MP3tunes last year. In addition to having its DMCA claims rejected, Universal was slapped down by the...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2012/7/11/3151127/grooveshark-dmca-universal-music">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2012/7/11/3151127/grooveshark-dmca-universal-musicLouis Goddard2012-04-03T22:24:04-04:002012-04-03T22:24:04-04:00Grooveshark loses EMI contract, its last major label partner
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<figcaption>grooveshark</figcaption>
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<p>EMI has terminated its contract with Grooveshark, leaving the music streaming service with an uncertain future without support from any major label and <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/16/2640303/sony-warner-universal-grooveshark-lawsuit">pending lawsuits</a> from all four of them, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/6/2685974/emi-grooveshark-lawsuit-licensing-dispute">including EMI</a>. The news of the termination comes by way of <a target="_blank" href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57408868-261/emi-groovesharks-only-major-label-tears-up-contract/"><i>CNET</i></a>, and in a statement Grooveshark confirmed the separation:</p>
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<p>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 Music Group, which we consider monopolistic and in violation of antitrust laws. To date, Grooveshark has paid over $2.6 million to EMI, but we have yet to find sustainable streaming rates.</p>
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<p>EMI, naturally, takes a different view about the money it has...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2012/4/3/2924021/emi-contract-grooveshark-music-streaming-service">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2012/4/3/2924021/emi-contract-grooveshark-music-streaming-serviceDieter Bohn2012-02-21T16:20:05-05:002012-02-21T16:20:05-05:00Danish ISP 3 forced to block access to Grooveshark
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<img alt="via <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/118445/danish_flag.png">dl.dropbox.com</a>" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/l_bTJVR3uipeKrvlxG_kFcRlhF0=/0x0:640x427/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/991215/danish_flag.png" />
<figcaption>via <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/118445/danish_flag.png">dl.dropbox.com</a></figcaption>
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<p>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, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/6/2685974/emi-grooveshark-lawsuit-licensing-dispute">EMI</a>, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/16/2640303/sony-warner-universal-grooveshark-lawsuit">Sony, and Warner</a> alleging that Grooveshark hosts illegal copies of music and is unresponsive to takedown notices. The scale of the Danish case is broader: the RettighedsAlliancen group which won the injunction represents 30 rights holders in all.</p>
<p>RettighedsAlliancen hopes that the injunction will lead to other ISPs blocking Grooveshark as well. The group sees this alternative method of...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2012/2/21/2814569/denmark-isp-3-grooveshark-injunction-rettighedsalliancen">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2012/2/21/2814569/denmark-isp-3-grooveshark-injunction-rettighedsalliancenJamie Keene