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Judge: Music Website Violated Beatles Copyrights
A federal judge has ruled that a website that sold songs by The Beatles for 25 cents before they were legally digitally available is liable for copyright infringement.
U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton Tucker ruled Wednesday that BlueBeat.com violated the copyrights of music company EMI Group and others. The site streamed and sold music by the Fab Four and other top-name acts, including Coldplay and Lily Allen, for several days before music companies sued to shut it down in November 2009.
The ruling came roughly a week after EMI’s attorneys argued that BlueBeat and owner Hank Risan should be found liable for copyright infringement and unfair competition.
A phone message left for BlueBeat’s attorney, Archie Robinson, was not immediately returned.