Friday, June 13, 2008
MP3Tunes' Robertson Gets Sued By EMI
Michael Robertson, the outspoken founder of MP3.com, said this week that record company EMI is looking to make him personally liable as CEO of MP3tunes in a lawsuit filed against the firm. San Diego-based MP3tunes, a provider of online music storage services for MP3 files, is being sued by EMI over copyright infringement. EMI filed suit in November of last year over MP3tunes' Sideload and music locker services, saying that the services were a violation of copyright law. MP3tunes' services allow users to store MP3 files for listening on their portable devices, PCs, and streaming across the Internet; the services also include features to help find MP3 files on the Internet. According to Robertson, EMI's attorney asked a New York court this week to make him personally liable in the lawsuit. Robertson complains in an email that EMI is "going after my home, cars and kids college funds in their suit." Robertson continues that "it's wrong to go after someone simply because they are the CEO and MP3tunes is not about piracy." Robertson is no stranger to lawsuits from the entertainment industry; his prior startup, MP3.com, was sued by nearly every major record label for copyright infringement.