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Record Labels To Pay For Copyright Infringement

Posted by Soulskill on from the of-pots-and-kettles dept.

innocent_white_lamb writes "Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., EMI Music Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada Inc. and Warner Music Canada Co. have agreed to pay songwriters and music publishers $47.5 million in damages for copyright infringement and overdue royalties to settle a class action lawsuit. 'The 2008 class action alleges that the record companies "exploited" music owners by reproducing and selling in excess of 300,000 song titles without securing licenses from the copyright owners and/or without paying the associated royalty payments. The record companies knowingly did so and kept a so-called "pending list" of unlicensed reproductions, setting aside $50 million for the issue, if it ever arose, court filings suggest.'"

4 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. From this I understand that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    From this I understand that I can now download as many mp3s as I want as long as I put aside 69c per mp3 downloaded in case I am ever asked to pay the full price.

    Excellent! Kudos to the music companies for setting us straight on this issue.

  2. Re:Let me get this straight ... by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, yes. although I will point out this is Canadian law which is a little less insane.

  3. It's not "damages", it's a settlement by Namarrgon · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's more or less the actual amount owed to the artists for licencing. They claimed they couldn't pay it out because they couldn't identify the artists on the pending list, but of course they didn't try very hard. The class action suit merely convinced them that it was simpler to just turn over the owed money as a settlement (presumably keeping the interest) to the plaintiffs, rather than identifying and paying the individual artists.

    They're cleared of all liability and they've agreed to try a little harder next time, but there are no damages, statutory or otherwise. They're paying out only the owed royalties, just delayed for a few years (would've been indefinitely, but they got called on it).

    --
    Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
  4. Re:Let me get this straight ... by Moryath · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's a few articles and interviews for you on the subject:

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/music/perfect/radio.html

    http://www.civilrights.org/publications/low-power/consolidation.html

    http://futureofmusic.org/tags/radio-consolidation

    http://futureofmusic.org/article/research/employment-and-wage-effects-radio-consolidation

    http://www.daveyd.com/lettertofcc.html

    http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2010/05/27/fcc-ponders-the-future-of-radio-consolidation/

    http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4653720-1.html

    http://iplj.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Note-NO-COMPETITION-HOW-RADIO-CONSOLIDATION-HAS-DIMINISHED-DIVERSITY-AND-SACRIFICED-LOCALISM.pdf