Prince and the Village People plan to take a Swedish website to court for allowing users to download their songs without permission - if they can work out who to sue, their lawyer said.

"We have not yet decided whom the case is going to be directed against," lawyer Lars Sandberg said, adding though that the targets are likely to be "four people [already] charged as well as firms linked to the site."

Mr Sandberg has been hired on behalf of the US musicians by British law firm Web Sheriff, which wants to claim "several million dollars" in damages in both Sweden and the United States, he said.

In March Swedish prosecutors charged four people they believed to be behind the site.


http://www.bigpond.com/ne...164475.asp

The music industry has been engaged in a battle for many years to stop people downloading songs on the internet for free.

- AFP

Good thing Prince is so focused on creating new music these days.

I think the most shocking thing about this news is that someone wants to download a Village People song! Is this the kind of company our man keeps these days?

I was having this conversation last night....One guys says that it is inevitable that record stores would go out of business, because of internet down loading...and the other guy says yeah...cuz if I'm gonna spend 500 dollars on a computer, I'm gonna download everything I can for free.

I realize that it can be stopped but the record companies are gonna have to take losses to get through it. I am sure, out of respect to musicians, and other forms of art reproduction....that people can download music, yet be charged for their purchase.

One way...is to, only release things through radio stations initially...and then channel buyers through a specific source. Bootleggers and copiers will always be a problem...However...The general public would use their credit cards.

The second way is dependent on the artist's point of view....That is....producing a cd, that will not copy...These photo images, that have a logo printed on them is the same principle. It may sound difficult...But I do believe it is the only way to save the recording industry....Otherwise....Singers and Songwriter's may choose to give up their dreams because they aren't providing for their families....

If one copy goes out...That tends to mean that another copy can be made. Copies have to be prevented. Unless they are from a legal source.

Chemistry and technology started the mess....Leave it up to science to get us out.

A CD that will not copy...

You mean DRM!? The nice thing about a CD is the lack of DRM.
It playes anywhere, anytime. It can be backupped easily and the cost of manufacture is low.

Now you want new, digital, encrypted, protected and whatnot medium that only makes the situation worse?

The price of the medium is higher, it will be cracked, studio's will limit the creative output (like they do) and nobody will really gain except for an unfair distribution of money.


I don't want downloads. I want, at this point in time, pressed discs that I can easily store, backup, etc. I'll gladly buy them.

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[Edited 2/16/08 23:20pm]

Theft is theft people. As much moolah as Prince has made it's the fact that these people are using other people's hard work for personal gain. And he is focussed on the music- that's why he's got the sheriff to do the dirty work. Peace.

The Village People are still alive????

Music piracy is not theft. It's a victimless crime. I'll never buy another music CD... ever.

lspear76 said:

Don't have any morals or ethics huh?
[Edited 2/17/08 12:25pm]

The Pirate Bay is one of the most arrogant file-sharing services out there. They post all the correspondence to and from U.S.-based lawyers: http://thepiratebay.org/legal. Their responses are very cocky and sarcastic.

JesusSaves said:

i was wondering if the website was the pirate bay all i can say is i will look forward to their response

personally i rarely download music because i like having the cd but then i can see the attraction especially seeing as a certain someone wont release any of the concerts etc which i would happily pay for and download

i cant understand why he doesnt release some of them, there is obviously a want for them and he has them and would make money by releasing them and it would solve alot of the problem of people downloading them illegally, he should just shove some on his website i wanna hear some of the funk from this summer

JesusSaves said:

naw,.. not anymore they are running scared.

Lawyers are having a hard time finding out exactlty WHO to sue, because like all cockroaches they hide when they light is shined on them.

I dont believe you could ever get rid of all file sharing sites, but if they are out somewhere on the downlow hiding, scared they wont get caught, then thats as much as any law will acomplish, and thats fine with me.
[Edited 2/18/08 6:16am]

The Pirate Bay's running scared?



I just love how folks that haven't got a clue, try to pretend that they do!

SexyBeautifulOne said:

lol, like you

violetblues said:

I can always back up my statements. Can you?

SexyBeautifulOne said:

yep,

"naw,.. not anymore they are running scared.

Lawyers are having a hard time finding out exactlty WHO to sue, because like all cockroaches they hide when they light is shined on them.

I dont believe you could ever get rid of all file sharing sites, but if they are out somewhere on the downlow hiding, scared they wont get caught, then thats as much as any law will acomplish, and thats fine with me"

thats my earlier statement, tell me, mrs Pirate-Bay-wiki what you see as inacurate? lol
[Edited 2/18/08 7:42am]

violetblues said:

There are damn near 10 million people sharing on the site right now!

Taken from thepiratebay.***



That's entirely too much traffic to go completely unmonitored. So obviously, the owners aren't hardly running scared!

SexyBeautifulOne said:[quote]

violetblues said:

You Obviously havent kept up on their legal proceedings, its seems noneone there seems to wanna fess up the own the place, as in scared they will get their asses sued.


Google it.
[Edited 2/18/08 8:51am]

I hate to see the record stores hurting but I am thrilled to death seeing the record labels hurting. Considering that they have killed all real music by keeping everything else out except for cheaply made computerized music, I think it's only fair that computers (downloads) become the death of the labels.

Payback is a motherfucker and they are getting just what they deserve. I hope they go so broke that they have to live in a ghetto alongside the thugs they helped to raise.
.
.
[Edited 2/18/08 9:22am]

vainandy said:

lol,
a little harsh, no?

violetblues said:

There's no need for me to do so, again! Effort and skill has shown me all that needs to be known, already!

vainandy said:

It's called comeuppance, my dear VainAndy!

Ain't it grand?