EMI has agreed a settlement with MP3.com which it had sued for
copyright infringement. In terms of the settlement, MP3.com will be
allowed to store copies of EMI copyright protected music on the
my.mp3.com web site, available for users to download the MP3
files.
The agreement has been made following a federal court ruling that
MP3.com was infringing EMI’s copyright by offering internet users
software that enables them to share music free of charge via its
my.mp3.com web site.
The new arrangement is expected to involve MP3.com paying a fee
to EMI every time a user registers or accesses EMI music, including
works by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra. MP3.com
may also be ordered to pay damages of up to $20 million following a
court hearing to be held in late August.
This news comes in the wake of the preliminary injunction that
will close down music swapping web site Napster at midnight
tonight, or 8am Saturday, BST.
The immediate effect of that decision has been strongly felt by
Gnutella and other web sites offering similar services. Gnutella
reported a massive influx of traffic which forced it to temporarily
take its servers off-line yesterday.
