Judge will not dismiss 'Napster investor' suit

Ev!L-aLphA · Jul 15, 2004, 05:18 PM

" lawsuit brought against erstwhile Napster investors Bertelsmann and venture capitalist Hummer Winblad will not be dismissed, the action's judge has ruled.

US District Court Judge Marilyn Patel said that the music industry had a case that Napster's one-time backers had to answer.

Essentially, major labels EMI and Universal believe that Bertelesmann's $90m investment in Napster, made in 2000, kept it afloat and as such makes the media giant partly responsible for the copyright infringement that Napster contributed to during period from that investment to its 2002 bankruptcy.

Both labels have made the same claim against Hummer Winblad, which pumped $15m into Napster. Both lawsuits, being judged together, centre on whether the investors took charge of Napster during its time as a contributory copyright violator - "to financially benefit themselves at the expense of... artists", as Universal puts it. The two companies want $17bn in damages to cover the financial loss they suffered at, they claim, Napster's hand."

Source: The Register

AlternateVirus · Jul 15, 2004, 07:17 PM

im sorry, 17 billion dollars in damages? they suing themselves and planning on getting 17 billion dollars from themselves. NICE

Jul 15, 2004, 05:18 PM	#1
Ev!L-aLphA \| n f e c t e D Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: California Posts: 4,111 Rep Power: 0	Judge will not dismiss 'Napster investor' suit " lawsuit brought against erstwhile Napster investors Bertelsmann and venture capitalist Hummer Winblad will not be dismissed, the action's judge has ruled. US District Court Judge Marilyn Patel said that the music industry had a case that Napster's one-time backers had to answer. Essentially, major labels EMI and Universal believe that Bertelesmann's $90m investment in Napster, made in 2000, kept it afloat and as such makes the media giant partly responsible for the copyright infringement that Napster contributed to during period from that investment to its 2002 bankruptcy. Both labels have made the same claim against Hummer Winblad, which pumped $15m into Napster. Both lawsuits, being judged together, centre on whether the investors took charge of Napster during its time as a contributory copyright violator - "to financially benefit themselves at the expense of... artists", as Universal puts it. The two companies want $17bn in damages to cover the financial loss they suffered at, they claim, Napster's hand." Source: The Register

Jul 15, 2004, 07:17 PM	#2
AlternateVirus DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 282 Rep Power: 0	im sorry, 17 billion dollars in damages? they suing themselves and planning on getting 17 billion dollars from themselves. NICE