Media Companies Have Nasty Litigation Tactics?

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Media Companies Have Nasty Litigation Tactics?

Fri Oct 03, 2008 @ 03:59PM PST

By Eriq Gardner

A New York District Court isn't allowing a lawsuit filed by several music publishers against MP3tunes to target the company's CEO.

The plaintiffs, led by EMI, sued MP3tunes, which allows users to upload their purchased music into a digital locker where they can access the songs via most Web-enabled devices. EMI alleges this is copyright infringement.

But the lawsuit also targeted MP3tunes founder Michael Robertson, a well-known Silicon Valley visionary who previously launched MP3.com.

New York District Judge William Pauley dismissed the complaint against Robertson, if not his company, by ruling the court doesn't have jurisdiction over Robertson, who doesn't live in New York.

In a statement, Robertson says he's relieved with the court's decision and knocks EMI's litigation strategy. He says, "Suing CEOs personally is a nasty tactic media companies are engaging in to intimidate individuals, forcing them to either enter into a settlement or face the possibility of losing their homes, cars, and all their personal belongings."

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The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter, Esq. blog focuses on how the entertainment and media industries are impacted and influenced by the law. It is edited by Matthew Belloni with contributions from veteran legal reporter Eriq Gardner and others. Before joining The Hollywood Reporter, Belloni was a lawyer at an entertainment litigation firm in Los Angeles. He writes a column for THR devoted to entertainment law. Gardner is a New York-based writer and legal journalist. Send tips or comments to [email protected]

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