German Court Fines Rapidshare $34 Million
The cost of allowing about 5,000 copyright-protected music files to be shared freely online? About $34 million, declared the regional court of Hamburg in Germany today, finding the file-hosting and -sharing website Rapidshare guilty of violation of German copyright law.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsMinnesota Court Awards RIAA $1.92M for Theft of 24 Songs
Court is adjourned in the high-profile RIAA case against Jammie Thomas-Rasset for the download of two-dozen songs: a Minnesota jury awarded the Recording Industry Association of America $1.92 million in their suit against Rasset for sharing 24 songs on the Kazaa P2P network. Rasset is ordered to pay the fine to four major labels for damage compensation.... read more
Found in: Culture, NewsLemonhead Evan Dando Sues General Motors
Last week, Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing General Motors of re-recording the band's song, "It's a Shame About Ray," for a marketing campaign. The shame about Dando's lawsuit is that it may be a bit too late. The auto giant recently filed for bankruptcy.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsJ.D. Salinger Sues Over Catcher Sequel
If J.D. Salinger continues to have his way, Holden Caulfield and his red hunting hat will remain within the sanctity of yellowed paperbacks pored over in high-school English classes and re-read for decades. That means no television, film or theater adaptations, thank you. And certainly no book sequels.... read more
Found in: Books, NewsCannibal Film Rohtenburg Cleared for German Consumption
German film enthusiasts and the cannibal-curious can finally watch the 2006 horror movie Rohtenburg, after a German federal court overturned a lower court's three-year-long ban that prevented its screening. The reason behind the initial ban? It's juicy stuff.... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsLegal Dispute Results in Music-less Danger Mouse Project
It would have been a perfect summer birthday gift for any modern music lover: a long-awaited and mysterious project headed by Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and David Lynch with musical collaborations with The Flaming Lips, Iggy Pop, The Shins' James Mercer, The Strokes' Julian Casablancas and others, sold in a three-part package online for a cool $50. But buyer beware: The official site now warns that the project will include a blank CD-R.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsGreen Day Balks at Wal-Mart Censorship Policy
Green Day is saying "good riddance" (rim shot) to Wal-Mart, refusing to make its latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, clean enough to make it onto the store's obscenity-free shelves. The world's largest retailer is known for its long-standing policy of not selling CDs that wear a parental advisory sticker, but Green Day is not giving in.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsAmerican Apparel Settles with Woody Allen
The scuffle between Woody Allen and American Apparel CEO Dov Charney hasn't come to blows. Although the director extraordinaire was livid with Charney for using an unauthorized image from the film Annie Hall of Allen dressed as a Hasidic Jew, he has accepted a $5 million settlement from the CEO. ... read more
Found in: Culture, NewsWilco's Jeff Tweedy Responds to Jay Bennett Lawsuit
"I have done nothing wrong," the frontman says... read more
Found in: Music, NewsColdplay responds to Satriani plagiarism accusation
Back in December, we reported that guitarist Joe Satriani was accusing Coldplay of plagiarizing his song, "If I Could Fly," with their undeniably catchy, monster hit, "Viva La Vida." Some of you responded saying it was all a coincidence. Why would a well-respected group like Coldplay copy Satriani, who, according to one reader, only "those stupid kids who suck at guitar" listen to regularly?... read more
Found in: News
Where Have All The Weird Girls Gone?…
