MP3.com Settles With Sony Music
L O S A N G E L E S, Aug. 23 -- The online music storage company MP3.com reached a settlement with Sony Music Entertainment, the fourth such settlement with plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming its business violates copyright law.
Under terms announced late Monday, San Diego-based MP3.com willpay an undisclosed amount to Sony for past violations and enterinto a non-exclusive North American license for use of Sony’s songsin the company’s MyMP3.com listening service.
MP3.com previously reached settlements with Warner Music Group,BMG and EMI. It is still negotiating with Universal Music Group.
The settlement comes one week before both sides in the lawsuitare due back in court. A federal judge has ruled that a trial isstill necessary to decide whether MP3.com willfully infringed oncopyrights of major record companies by letting people store copiedsongs on its computers. The case is set to resume Aug. 28.
“This settlement affirms and upholds the right of copyrightowners to be paid for the use of their works on the Internet,”said Al Smith senior vice president at Sony Music Entertainment ina release.
Earlier this year, MP3.com said it has reserved $150 million topay for legal settlements with music companies and musicpublishers.
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