UK music labels win right to sue AllofMP3.com
All of Britain’s recording companies will be able to sue controversial Russian digital music site AllofMP3.com in the UK, after a ruling at the English High Court. The judgement was granted to music trade body the British Phonographic Institute (BPI), which claims the music site is operating illegally.
AllofMP3.com sells music downloads to a large number of UK consumers – according to market watcher XTN Data, it’s the second most popular site behind Apple’s iTunes Music Store. However, its legal position is open to question. The BPI believes it’s breaking the law by distributing music without the permission of the owner. The site claims it doesn’t need that permission.
The big stumbling block is a lack of jurisdiction by the UK courts over Russian-based businesses, so a guilty verdict is unlikely to affect the site. However, if the case goes against AllofMP3.com, it should make it illegal for British consumers to use the site, which could allow the BPI to force ISPs to block access to the site.
You do get the feeling this one could keep on running for quite some time yet.
Via The Register
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