Universal is suing MySpace for copyright infringement, demanding up to $150,000 for each unauthorized music video or song posted on the site. In the suit, Universal calls MySpace a “willing partner” in theft. “Our music and videos play a key role in building the communities that have created hundreds of millions of dollars of value for the owners of MySpace,” the company said in a statement. MySpace responded and said it is in full complaince with copyright laws and is confident it will prevail in court. Last month, MySpace began using a fingerprinting technology to block copyrighted material from being uploaded to the site. And MySpace plans to allow content owners to be able to remove their copyrighted material on their own. (YouTube already has a similar technology in place.) In my humble opinion, I think Universal needs to take a chill pill. MySpace began as a music site and has gone a long ways to promote Universal Music artists, among others. Yet Universal’s suit continues the recording industry’s track record of suing instead of innovating. As history has shown, that’s not a sustainable business model.
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