NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — As if LimeWire's situation wasn't dire enough, the p2p software developer faces a new legal challenge after a coalition of eight music publishers filed a new copyright infringement lawsuit against them.
The coalition, National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) representing EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music, Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Bug Music, MPL Music Publishing, Peermusic, and The Richmond Organization – filed the action against various LimeWire entities as well as specific execs at the company, alleging copyright infringement on a massive scale and seeking legal remedy and damages from LimeWire. Among the defendants named in the case were current LimeWireCEO Mark Gorton and former COO and CTO Greg Bildson
The suit follows on a judge's ruling in May, finding that LimeWire had committed copyright infringement. The RIAA has filed a request for a permanent injunction against LimeWire and the NMPA's lawsuit was filed related case.
"The pervasive online infringement facilitated by LimeWire and others like them has consequences for everyone in the music chain," NMPA President and CEO David Israelite said in a statement. "Operations like LimeWire must understand the songs that make their illegal venture lucrative don't appear out of thin air."
"Behind every song is a vast network of people – a songwriter, a publisher, a performer, a record label. They have robbed every individual in that chain by selling their site as an access point for music and then refusing to properly license the music. It is a scheme the U.S. Supreme Court spoke on five years ago in its landmark Grokster decision, and a scheme that the U.S. District Court ruled was a violation of copyright law in the record labels' hard-fought case." Israelite added. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
