Artists' lawsuit: major record labels are the real pirates

It would appear that Christmas has come early this year by way of delicious, delicious karma.

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Between $50 million and $6 billion may be owed to musicians and artists in Canada, but not from your run-of-the-mill file sharers. The Canadian recording industry itself is being accused of massive copyright infringement, and the list of miffed artists just keeps getting longer.

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Given how aggressively the recording industry likes to pursue file sharers, one would assume that the industry itself is in the clear when it comes to copyright infringement. But that assumption has been put to the test in Canada, where a massive infringement lawsuit is brewing against some major players. Members of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, including the Big Four (Warner Music Canada, Sony BMG Music Canada, EMI Music Canada, and Universal Music Canada), face the prospect of damages ranging from $50 million up to $6 billion due to their use of artists' music without permission. That's right: $6 billion.

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The recording companies targeted in the suit acknowledge that the pending list reflects unpaid royalties "in excess of $50 million," but the real extent of the damage could go far higher—possibly to the tune of $6 billion. This is because the class is asking for both statutory and punitive damages for the labels' behavior (as Geist points out, the same standards being used to go after individual file sharers), meaning that the labels could be asked to pay up to $20,000 per infringement.

Hit the source for my information. Here is a direct link to a PDF of the lawsuit.
[Source: arstechnica.com]

I just came in my pants.

I thought most record companies signed contracts with artists to avoid just such an occurance.

I hope they get taken for the full $6 billion. *crosses fingers*

Mmmm, lawsuits. So tasty when served with righteous retribution against douchebags.

If this goes through, I think I might have to break out the champagne, despite being a teetotaler.

Oh, this is delicious.

I just love how the recording industry, which constantly spouts weepy 'shame on you for cheating musicians!' rhetoric towards people who download music, had absolutely no qualms with fucking those same artists out of millions of dollars and then filing lawsuits that could result in someone with one song on their computer losing twenty grand.

I hope they cry tears of red-hot shame while they are brutally sodomized by the long cock of Justice.