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Music publishers sue Bertelsmann over Napster deal

A group of music publishers have filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against German media giant Bertelsmann, alleging that the company's investment in the Napster song-swapping service led to massive copyright abuse.

The suit, filed Wednesday in New York federal court, requests class-action status for around 160,000 songwriters and publishers who are claiming US$17 billion in damages.

Among the four named plaintiffs are legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who penned such classics as Jailhouse Rock and Stand By Me.

Randy Poe, the president of Leiber and Stoller Music Publishing said Thursday that the suit would open a new front in the music industry's war against copyright piracy through free Internet downloads.

"It's hard to understand sometimes, because the concept of copyright is an intangible," Poe said.

"But essentially what people are doing is exactly the same as walking into Tower Records and putting a CD under your shirt and walking out. You are stealing from someone who owns a right," he said.

The 18-page complaint contends that Bertelsmann's strategy to fund Napster extended the life of the file-swapping service, leading to greater numbers of copyrighted works being shared illegally.
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