Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management
    • Small Business

    Beatles Albums Removed from Download Site BlueBeat

    By
    Nathan Eddy
    -
    November 7, 2009
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Internet music site BlueBeat.com, which bills itself as trying to “stop the insanity of overpriced online music,” is no longer carrying the entire catalog of songs from legendary rock band The Beatles.

      EMI Group, a British music company that owns the rights to the songs, filed a copyright infringement claim against the site and its parent company Media Rights Technologies.

      The site had been selling Beatles songs for $0.25 apiece; staff members at Wired successfully downloaded 17 songs from the album “Abbey Road” for $4.55 by using a Paypal account.

      After receiving the lawsuit, site founder Hank Risan sent an e-mail to the general counsel of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Steve Marks, responding to Marks’ inquiry over “psychoacoustic simulations,” a “synthetic creation of sounds” developed by Risan.

      “With regard to the music streamed at BlueBeat, I authored the sound recordings that are being used by psycho-acoustic simulation, independently affixed pursuant to Section 114 (b) of the Act and, as such, are not within the exclusive rights of your members,” the message reads. “In addition, BlueBeat.com has received copyright registration for all its audio visual material and related sounds.”

      EMI’s lawyers argued the site was “engaged in digital music piracy of the most blatant kind” and was undercutting and destroying a legitimate digital market. “Perhaps the most stunning aspect of Defendants’ conduct is the willful and overtly defiant manner in which they are acting,” the lawsuit reads.

      The suit makes particular mention of the Beatles tracks, which were recently remastered and rereleased with great media fanfare. “The enormous and irreparable harm … is obvious and manifest,” the suit argues.

      On Nov. 5 Judge John Walter of the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California approved a temporary restraining order on BlueBeat. “Although Defendants claim, without any evidence, that an injunction would significantly harm, if not destroy, their business, the hardships suffered by Plaintiffs will be great if Defendants are not enjoined from infringing or misappropriating Plaintiffs’ Recordings,” Judge Walter ruled. “Defendant cannot invalidate the copyright of an independent and preexisting sound recording simply by incorporating that recording into an audiovisual work.”

      Five albums of Beatles songs remain on the Website; however, when a user clicks on an album’s “Buy” tab it opens up a window to purchase the album on Amazon.com. Though it was widely rumored the legendary rock band’s complete discography would be released digitally this fall-along with the remastered albums-it is still uncertain as to when, or where, Beatles tunes will show up on a service that’s given a ticket to ride.

      Nathan Eddy
      A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan was perviously the editor of gaming industry newsletter FierceGameBiz and has written for various consumer and tech publications including Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, CRN, and The Times of London. Currently based in Berlin, he released his first documentary film, The Absent Column, in 2013.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×