According to the Pioneer Press Prince is suing Matthew Lankford of Seattle (owner and operator of freemyheart.com) for offering pirated recordings of live performances from Xenophobia on his site. Link: http://www.twincities.com...158882.htm

Posted on Fri, Sep. 27, 2002

COURTS: Prince alleging copyright violation
BY HANNAH ALLAM
Pioneer Press

Prince is generally described as a free-spirited, free-thinking, free-loving kind of guy.

But one thing about the Minnesota superstar isn't free: his music.

Prince, through his Chanhassen-based Paisley Park Enterprises, is suing the operator of an Internet site that allegedly offered pirated recordings of live performances from "Xenophobia," the artist's June concert series, according to a federal copyright-infringement lawsuit filed Wednesday in Minneapolis. Prince, an artists' rights advocate long before Napster became a household name, filed at least three similar lawsuits in 1999.

Prince, 44, names Mathew Lankford of Seattle as the operator of Freemy heart.com — a now-disabled Web site where people who didn't shell out $100 a day for the Paisley Park events could still hear "Housequake" or "1+1+1 Is 3." Lankford could not be reached for comment.

The claim alleges Lankford broke federal copyright laws by allowing Web users to download Prince songs that included "specific information describing which day the unauthorized recording of the Xenophobia concert took place." Jerry Blackwell, the Minneapolis attorney representing Paisley Park, did not return calls seeking comment.

There were hints in online chat groups that the lawsuit was coming. On Prince's official site, love4oneanother.com, an Aug. 16 posting touts a new seven-CD box set that includes Xenophobia recordings.

"But wait … u already bought this set from a bootlegger. How do u feel?" the posting asks.

In an August posting on another Internet site, a man who identified himself as Lankford wrote to other fans about a letter he received from Paisley Park that ordered him to stop distributing Prince's music. The writer explained that he simply wanted to offer samples of some of his favorite music — not to turn a profit as a bootlegger.

"Nearly every performance of Prince's from the past 20 years has been taped and shared by admirers of his," he wrote. "Why? Because unlike his 'Free the Music'… message of 1995, he's as guilty as the bootleggers for taking his loyal fan base for all that he can get."

David Wolf, a Minneapolis DJ, spins Prince records while the musician's movies play overhead every Wednesday at The Front in Northeast Minneapolis. Wolf understands that many performers own the rights to their music, but said Prince's attitude is costing the artist fans.

"It seems like he's just making music for himself," Wolf said. "I wish he would just make the music we all used to love."

Ya know, I'm torn on this. I want to say Prince get a fucking grip, you can't save the world. But then again, it's his music...ho hum.

I'm torn myself,

but i don't see how boots of a concert is costing him money - it's not in competition with any 'official' releases, and so it isn't costing him any sales. And only a fool would take a boot over actually attending a concert, so it isn't costing him ticket sales - and they all sold out anyway, so what's the problem?

I just think it's his megalomania.

Bootleggers are thieves -- period. To promote bootleggeing by any means is thievery. I don't blame Prince for taking a stand. Too many people have already profited from his work. Grant it, people burn cd's, dub tapes, etc, etc, but only a ___ would let the whole wide world (including the artist) know he/she is involved/promoting bootlegging. Duh!