George Clinton has reached an out of court settlement with The Black Eyed Peas over the use of a sample in one of the group’s remixes.

As previously reported, Clinton sued BEP in December 2010, claiming a remix of their 2003 hit ‘Shut Up’ sampled his band Funkadelic’s classic hit ‘(Not Just) Knee Deep’ without his permission.

When the case reached court earlier this month the Peas claimed that they believed (albeit incorrectly) that they had licensed the sample. The judge in the case then lowered the threshold for any damages Clinton could claim. This seemingly prompted the settlement.

Neither side has commented as yet, but the mediator in negotiations told Reuters that the settlement had “fully” resolved the matter.

Australian band The John Butler Trio have won a legal battle with a US advertising agency, Poptent. The band sued after the company sampled their 2003 song ‘Zebra’ for an advert for Dannon Oikos Greek yoghurt, which first aired on American TV during the Super Bowl in February.

Poptent has now been forced to remove the sample from the advert, though it’s not clear what, if any, financial reparation is due for plays of the advert up to this point.

A spokesperson for the band said: “The advertisement will no longer contain this particular piece of music and both parties are happy this issue is behind them. We thank all JBT fans worldwide for their support on this matter. No further comment will be entered into”.

The ruling comes after Beach House spoke out against a new VW advert which uses a piece of music apparently written to sound very similar to their 2010 song ‘Take Care’, after they refused to allow the original to be used itself. News of the copycat track came, much to their dismay, just as the band were releasing their new album, ‘Bloom’. Hence, when commenting on it last week, they said: “We will release a proper statement weeks fom now when we don’t have more interesting things to do/talk about”.

It’s not clear at this stage if Beach House plan to launch legal action, but it would be an interesting case if they did.

In a blog post published at the weekend, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler said that he was “sad to see the [latest] Sabbath reunion becoming a bit of a soap opera on the internet”, so I’m sure he’ll be glad to see that drummer Bill Ward has issued another statement on the matter. Though it is in response to other things Butler said in his blog post, so I’m not sure he can really complain.

As previously reported, Ward claims that he is unable to take part in Sabbath’s current reunion (despite having been part of its announcement back in November) due to having been given at “unsignable contract”. Last week Ward issued a statement announcing that all negotiations for him to be involved had now collapsed and that he would definitely not be taking part, despite very much wanting to play live again with his former bandmates, particularly at last weekend’s hometown show in Birmingham.

But Butler wrote: “To our surprise, Bill issued a statement on his site [in February] saying he’d been offered an unsignable contract. He hadn’t told any one of us he was having contractual problems, and frankly those things are worked out between our representatives, and never between the four of us, let alone in public”.

He also claimed that Ward had asked for “an amount [to play the Download festival] that was so unrealistic that it seemed to have been a joke”, and complained that after the band announced the Birmingham show, which they would use to raise money for the Help For Heroes charity, “Bill put out a further statement saying he’d been ready to play the Birmingham show, but he was expected to have to do it ‘for free’ – well, I think that’s basically how you raise money from gigs for charity – you play them ‘for free’”.

He concluded: “All I am saying is that there are two sides to everything”.

And thus proving that rule, Ward issued a further statement via his Facebook page yesterday, responding to the various points raised by Butler. In it he said that he “had indeed notified Ozzy, Tony and Geezer, well before my first public statement, that I was having contractual difficulties”.

He continued: “I came out into a public forum to be accountable to the fans primarily, and to say at a public level there’s a problem. The band members stopped talking and corresponding with me some time ago, with the exception of a nice letter from Tony on my birthday. Prior to that, Geezer and I were corresponding, but that stopped abruptly in late February after I emailed a specific question to him”.

He also said that his proposed Download fee “was not an extravagant amount” and that during negotiations it had not been the fee for this show that had been a problem but rather “there were other parts of the offer that were unsatisfactory”.

Meanwhile, on the subject of the Birmingham show, he pointed out that “in my statement of 15 May, I clearly stated I would play Birmingham for free”.

Ward finished by saying that he would “confront any untruths about me, and any fault finding missions aimed at me that come to my attention”, so you can no doubt expect to hear more on this subject in the near future.

Read Geezer Butler’s blog post here.

And Bill Ward’s Facebook post here.

The Walkmen are now streaming their new album ‘Heaven’ and – just as predicted – it’s excellent.
Physical and digital copies of the LP will be available as of next week, but for now you can just appreciate it all with a click of this NPR link.

Representing the second part of today’s triple streaming featurette are Iceland’s own Sigur Rós, whose unsurprisingly great new LP ‘Valtari’ is also previewing at NPR prior to its EMI-assisted release on Monday. Defined by Jónsi Birgisson as “a new beginning” for the band, you can get started on the album here.

Meanwhile, buzzy “folk-step” types Alt-J are also streaming their debut long player, ‘An Awesome Wave’, ahead of its release on 28 May. You can hear that here:

Young Justin Bieber has published the complete tracklisting for his forthcoming long player ‘Believe’, thereby also sharing with eager Beliebers the names of those guest artists fortunate enough to feature on it.

Despite the notable absence of a cameo by Kanye West – who was photographed in the studio with Biebs earlier this month – the LP will co-star rap types Ludacris, Big Sean and Drake, while Nicki Minaj appears on ‘Beauty And A Beat’.

The new record closes with ‘Maria’, which is presumably that previously mentioned ode to Mariah Yeater, the woman who claimed to have had a baby by the singer last year. Which means any other Beliebers who want a name check on future Bieber albums now know what they need to do.

‘Believe’, of course, is out 18 Jun. And look, here’s its tracklisting:

All Around The World (feat Ludacris)
Boyfriend
As Long As You Love Me (feat Big Sean)
Take You
Right Here (feat Drake)
Catching Feelings
Fall
Die In Your Arms
Thought Of You
Beauty And A Beat (feat Nicki Minaj)
One Love
Be Alright
Believe
Out Of Town Girl
She Don’t Like The Lights
Maria

Retro soul torch-bearer Michael Kiwanuka may have barely released an album, but such a minor detail won’t and hasn’t stopped him from announcing a headline date at London’s prestigious Royal Festival Hall. Oh no, not Kiwanuka.

The concert will take place on 5 Dec, thus falling just shy of six months since the initial issue of Kiwanuka’s debut LP, ‘Home Again’.

And here’s the video for his new single, ‘I’ll Get Along’, which is out next week:

Kurt Vile and his band The Violators are to limber up for their booking at the ATP festival’s winter edition with a headline date at The Forum in Kentish Town, London.

The band, who are still touring in prolonged honour of their fourth studio LP ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’, will take live support from Lower Dens and Dark Dark Dark.

Vile et al will appear on 6 Dec, the eve of the aforementioned ATP festival, which is this year curated by The National and runs from 7-9 Dec.

Stalwart metalcore quartet Every Time I Die will mark the release of their new LP, ‘Ex Lives’, with a series of live dates, as have just been announced. Hardcore band Stray From The Path and Holy Roar signings Last Witness will open for the band on all dates, which will take place as listed:

24 October Southampton, The Brook
25 Oct: Bristol, The Fleece
26 Oct: Plymouth, White Rabbit
27 Oct: Brighton, The Haunt
28 Oct: Cardiff, Solus
29 Oct: London, Electric Ballroom
30 Oct: Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms
31 Oct: Manchester, Academy 2
1 Nov: Glasgow, Garage
2 Nov: Newcastle, Academy 2
3 Nov:  Leeds, Cockpit
4 Nov: Sheffield, Corporation

BESTIVAL, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight, 6-9 Sep: Friday night headliner Florence Welsh will be accompanied by her ever-present Machine as the latest act added to this year’s wildlife-themed Bestival bill, with Swedish alt-pop trio Miike Snow also set to join the afore-announced New Order, Stevie Wonder, Orbital, The xx, Sigur Ros, Justice, Two Door Cinema Club, Hot Chip, Friendly Fires, Death In Vegas, Nero, The Horrors and Gary Numan. www.bestival.net

BLISSFIELDS, Woodmancott, Hampshire, 29 Jun – 1 Jul: It’s just been confirmed that opera-star-to-pop-star Charlotte Church will make a rare festival appearance at Blissfields 2012, as will ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ newcomer Lauren Thalia. They join existing roster guests like Patrick Wolf, The Noisettes, Guillemots, Toddla T, Spector, Toy, Theme Park, Clock Opera and Charli XCX. www.blissfields.co.uk

BUSHMILLS LIVE, Bushmills Old Distillery, North Antrim, Northern Ireland, 20-21 Jun: Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Marcus Foster, The Staves, General Fiasco and David C Clements are new to proceedings at Irish whiskey brand Bushmills’ first ever live bash, thus sharing roster room with the first-booked Snow Patrol, For Vance and Iain Archer. www.facebook.com/Bushmills1608

SUPERSONIC, Custard Factory, Birmingham, 19-21 Oct: Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth’s new outfit Body/Head represent another line-up update to Supersonic’s tenth anniversary programme, as also houses Tim Hecker, JK Flesh, Dylan Carlson, Dope Body, Six Organs Of Admittance, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore. www.supersonicfestival.com

SUMMER SERIES AT SOMERSET HOUSE, London, 7-17 Jul: Listings for Somerset House’s traditional open air summer time concert series now include one night with Charlotte Gainsbourg, who’ll cast a nostalgic glance across her past discography during a headline date – her only UK appointment this year – on 19 Jul. She aligns with Tim Minchin, Katy B, Paloma Faith and M83 on the festival’s overall line-up. www.somersethouse.org.uk/music/summer-series-2012

I think it’s generally known that, with a few exceptions, the European festivals market is having a bit of a wobbly year, and now that Vince Power’s festivals company is a PLC we get to have that confirmed in the form of an official statement.

As previously reported, Power floated his latest festivals company on the Alternative Investment Market last June to create Music Festivals plc.

In a statement to investors in the company this week, according to The Independent, Power has admitted ticket sales for his firm’s two flagship events, the UK’s Hop Farm Festival and Spain’s Benicassim are “currently slower than last year”, despite some big name bookings.

The statement adds: “The festivals market in general has been affected by the continued depressed economic climate and the availability of strong revenue-generating acts”.

The company added that it would look to cut costs to help counter slower ticket sales.

Shares in Music Festivals plc are now 42.5p, having opened at 65p last summer.

There’s been quite a bit of chatter of late about Universal Music launching a new joint venture with the manager of one of its most successful artists, Justin Bieber overseer Scooter Braun, and now we have some love-in quotes from Braun himself and Universal top man Lucian Grainge confirming the venture.

Grainge is backing Braun’s business enterprises, which include representing The Wanted and Cary Rae Jepsen as well as Bieber, as part of a wider Universal initiative to form alliances with next-generation music entrepreneurs, able to recognise the opportunities that exist for pop acts in the digital age. Or something like that.

Says Braun of his Universal JV and admiration for UMG boss Grainge: “As a young man, you always look for more than just a business venture, but mentors. Lucian has offered me both the opportunity to work with an amazing company with amazing resources, but even more so, the opportunity to draw from his vast amount of knowledge, having been in the business as long as he as. Lucian doesn’t just look at the business as a music business, but as a worldwide multimedia business. He’s allowed me to be as creative as I want with my artists so that we can build for the future to come”.

Meanwhile Grainge says: “With the barriers of entry to our industry nearly non-existent thanks to the global reach of the internet, it’s now easier than ever for music entrepreneurs to get started. And we want to be at the forefront of that expansion. Through our global creative investment programme, we put real resources and creative support behind entrepreneurs such as Scooter”.

He continued: “This is a win-win: entrepreneurs benefit from our support and expertise, while our artists and business partners benefit from their innovation. And there is no one more representative of this than Scooter. He is among the very best in the next generation of entertainment executives and the fact that he’s accomplished so much at such a young age is testament to his vision and drive. I’m looking forward to our collaboration and the level of talent and creativity that will surely accompany it”.

Hello Australia, how the devil are you today? Are you enjoying Spotify? Well, you should be, because the popular streaming music service went live in Australia (and New Zealand, as it happens) earlier today, which means all you Aussies can now download the player, login with your Facebook thingys and enjoy all that music you love down there. Like… erm… Well, there’s five karaoke versions of Angry Anderson’s ‘Suddenly’ to be getting on with, everybody: “Suddenly you’re seeing me, just the way I am! Suddenly you’re hearing me, so I’m talking just fast as I can”.

Also talking particularly fast today is Spotify’s boss man Daniel Ek on account of him being unbelievably excited. Look, here he is saying “we’re unbelievably excited to be here”, just in case you thought I made that up. Without even pausing for breath, Ek continued: “Australians are massive music fans and we’ve created a service that we know they’ll love – Spotify offers everything you could possibly want from a music service: it’s free, it’s fast, it’s easy to share and with more than 16 million songs we have one of the biggest on-demand music libraries in the world – plus music is inherently social, so that’s why we built the best social features into Spotify for easy sharing and the ultimate in music discovery”.

So there you go Australia, listen, discover, share and be social, because suddenly every part of me needs to know every part of you.

Glenn Peoples at Billboard has done the maths, and reckons that Bono will make no more than $10 million as a result of Facebook’s IPO last Friday, which is still an awful lot of money, but not the $1.5 billion some claimed the U2 frontman would pocket as a result of the social network’s share sale last week.

As previously reported, as various media claimed Bono could be making $1.5 billion from the Facebook flotation, noting that would make him the world’s wealthiest pop star, ahead even of Paul McCartney, many took to Twitter wondering whether the rocker would practice what he preaches, and give his new found wealth away to charities combating poverty around the world.

But as we noted yesterday, while the IPO valuation of Facebook on Friday may have meant the stake Bono’s investment outfit Elevation Partners bought in the social network in 2009 was now worth $1.5 billion, the U2 man’s personal windfall would very much depend on various factors – in particular how many of its shares Elevation sold, and how much of any share sale loot would be passed back to the investment firm’s owners.

According to Peoples’ digging, Elevation only sold about 11.5% of its stake in Facebook, Bono is one of seven partners in the firm, and profits from deals like this will be shared amongst a whole community of investors so the rocker’s personal windfall will be much more modest than $1.5 billion.

There’s an element of guess work to be done too, because even if you can work out – as Peoples does – that Elevation probably made about $30 million from the deal, you can’t know for certain how much of that would reach Bono’s bank account. The Billboard digger reckons anything from $4 million to $10 million.

You can check People’s full analysis at this URL. Meanwhile, the social network’s first full day of trading saw shares in the company slip, as low as $33 at one point (they went on the market at $38) before closing the day at $34.03.

Xfm has been found to have breached OfCom regulations when it inadvertently broadcast the word “motherfucker” one Sunday afternoon in March when playing ‘Broke Up The Family’ by The Milk.

The Sun’s Gordon Smart, who was presenting at the time, immediately apologised after the track was broadcast, and Xfm said in its submission to OfCom that the track had been labelled a “clean radio edit” by the band’s record label, Simon Fuller’s Sony Music imprint Sign Of The Times. The station added that although all songs are checked for language by its staff before being broadcast, the person reviewing this particular song had removed their headphones before the offending word, which features at the end of the final chorus, had appeared.

In its ruling, OfCom said: “We noted that the licensee acknowledged that the broadcast on Xfm London of this example of the most offensive language on a Sunday afternoon was inappropriate and that the presenter made an on-air apology as soon as convenient. We have also taken into account all the background circumstances that led to the track being played as explained by Global Radio. Nonetheless, this was a clear example of lack of diligence in the application of compliance procedures leading to the broadcast of the most offensive language at a time when children were particularly likely to be listening, and a failure to apply generally accepted standards”.

Just in case there was any doubt whatsoever, The Wanted/One Direction mini-feud we enjoyed for at least two and half days earlier this year was totally and utterly manufactured by the media. Or so The Wanted continue to claim.

And that’s probably true. Though the pop press’s efforts to make the seemingly unstoppable British boy band phenomenon of 2012 even slightly interesting to people over fourteen years old was aided by The Wanted’s Max George telling Metro: “I don’t think people [in America] really look at us as the same kind of band [as 1D], because I think people look at them more like a Jonas Brothers sort of band, that are very TV and children’s magazine based. They make magazines instead of you actually hearing them on the radio”.

And then the group’s Nathan Sykes told The People [before 1D made US chart history by having their debut album top the US chart]: “If you look at One Direction’s chart position and then look at ours, they’re not really even our rivals. They have different fans to us. We don’t want their fans, they’re too young. We laugh and say that their fans are our fans’ younger sisters”.

But if you’re reading tensions between the two British boy bands in those quotes, then you’re just trying too hard. Because Sykes has assured Hollyscoop: “I think it’s expected from the media, [they are] always trying to put two bands together and trying to start a rivalry. We have no issue with [One Direction] whatsoever”.

In fact, Sykes added, his group would even consider collaborating with their rivals, though probably only in the name of charidee. Says Sykes: “I think the collaboration between the two bands could generate a lot of cash maybe and we would actualy be willing to do it for charity”.

So, consider this clarified – there are no petty tensions between The Wanted and One Direction. The Wanted boys are leaving all the petty toys-out-of-the-pram fun times to bosses at their management company Global, whose sister operation Capital FM is still – as far as we are aware – ploughing on with its 1D ban after Harry Styles mistakenly thanked Radio 1 when picking up the Capital sponsored Best Single BRIT Award back in February.

During her very short-lived stint in the hip hop spotlight, ’212′ mouthpiece and Twit-spat enthusiast Azealia Banks has carved a reputation for herself as something of an enfant terrible where conflicts with other MCs are concerned. Seeming disagreements have so far arisen with TI, Iggy Azalea and most recently Lil Kim, who Banks accused of never writing her own rhymes (and therefore of being petty for refusing to record some lines she had written for the veteran rapper).

Noting Azealia’s propensity for choice beefing, rising rapper A$AP Rocky has warned Ms Banks to respect her “older generation” genre peers and “stay out of trouble” before it’s all too late.

Speaking to Fuse, A$AP – real name Rakim Myers – said: “I like her for what she’s worth. [But] I do think she gotta chill out with the beefin, and all that other stuff, and disrespecting the OGs. She’s the homegirl, so it ain’t nothin but a little talk to her. I think if she stays out of trouble, she’ll have longevity”.

Wise words there from A$AP, who – being three years Banks’ senior at the wise old age of 23 – must surely know what he’s talking about.

So, what do you want first, Justin Bieber’s sex life or Justin Bieber’s cock? Because both seemingly came up, as it were, during a recent interview with the Sunday Times.

Well, the paper’s interviewer brought up sex briefly, but failed to score any scoops (or any information whatsoever) as the pop teen predictably and sensibly waved on the unnecessary intrusion into his personal life with a simple “next question”. Denying made up paternity claims aside, overt references to sex and sexual matters in interviews is not part of the Bieber brand of course, otherwise there’d be no room in the market for some slightly more candid British boy bands, which would never do.

Bieber did discuss his genitalia though, noting that the Beliebers have apparently started referring to his penis as ‘Jerry’. In the Biebster’s words: “The fans named my penis ‘Jerry’… which is funny”. Funny indeed, though surely Scooter, that’s another business venture right there – I expect the ‘Justin & Jerry’ cartoon series to be on the air within the year. There’s always YouTube if Nickelodeon passes.

Robin Gibb died this weekend after losing a lengthy battle with cancer. The Bee Gee had been fighting the disease for some time, and had been praised by doctors for his strength of character, especially when he regained consciousness after over a week in a coma after suffering a bout of pneumonia. But, despite a strong will to beat his various illnesses, the singer’s condition had continued to worsen in recent weeks.

Confirming his passing yesterday, a spokesman for Gibb’s family said: “The family of Robin Gibb, of The Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time”.

In his customary commentary for the BBC when any pop great dies, Paul Gambaccini noted that while best known as performers in the Bee Gees, Gibb and his brothers were also an incredibly successful songwriting team, second only to Lennon and McCartney as “the most successful songwriting unit in British popular music”.

He added: “Their accomplishments have been monumental. Not only have they written their ownnumber one hits, but they wrote huge hit records for Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Destiny’s Child, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, the list goes on and on. What must also be said is Robin had one of the best white soul voices ever”.

Concerns for Gibb’s health began when he was forced to cancel a series of shows in 2010 after suffering severe stomach pains. He went on to have emergency surgery for a blocked intestine, his twin brother and fellow Bee Gee Maurice having died in 2003 following complications from a similar condition. Although that surgery seemed to be successful, further concerts had to be cancelled a year later when he suffered acute abdominal pains, and he was subsequently diagnosed with cancer of the colon, and later still with cancer of the liver.

After receiving cancer treatment Gibb started to look very frail, though he insisted he go ahead with promotional work around a charity single he was involved in last October in aid of the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, and he subsequently told reporters that he felt he was successfully fighting off his illness and that doctors had been very impressed with his recovery. There was even talk of him and surviving brother Barry returning to the stage as The Bee Gees. But further hospital stints generated more concerns, even though to the end the singer remained upbeat and resolute he could beat his cancer. Last month he spent over a week in a coma after a bout of pneumonia, but regained consciousness.

Needless to say, many musicians and other celebrities took to Twitter overnight to pay tribute to Gibb, many having only days ago tweeted their tributes to another icon of the 1970s disco era, Donna Summer. Meanwhile, noting the passing of both Summer and Gibb, Stevie Wonder told reporters at last night’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas: “We live in a world with changes happening more rapidly. We won’t see them ever again. That’s a heartbreak. The blessing is we’re able to feel the pain, which means we were able to feel some love from that person; feel the experiences the music gave us”.

In the latter part of his life Gibb also worked as President of CISAC, the global organisation of collecting societies. It’s Chairman Kenth Muldin also paid tribute to Gibb yesterday, telling reporters: “Robin has been our President and the voice of CISAC for the past five years and throughout this period we have been blessed by his presence and his infectious enthusiasm. He took his role very seriously – we knew we could count on him whenever the principles of authors’ rights were under attack. On behalf of CISAC, and in the name of the whole creative community that he so brilliantly represented, I would like to offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to his wife Dwina and to his family. We will miss him immensely; we will miss his energy, his dedication to the cause of authors and, most of all, I will miss his friendship”.

Meanwhile Guy Fletcher, Chairman of the UK’s collecting society PRS, told CMU: “Few people enjoy a career in music lasting more than 50 years yet Robin Gibb was still only 62 when he passed away. With Brothers Barry and Maurice, they formed one of the most powerful song writing teams of all time. Apart from the phenomenal success of the Bee Gees, they enriched the lives of so many international stars, delivering for them some of their most enduring hits: ‘Islands In the Stream’, ‘Chain Reaction’, ‘How Deep is Your Love’ and dozens more. Robin was also very active in his support of Bomber Command charities and was president of CISAC, The International Confederation of Authors And Composers Societies. We have lost a true friend and a unique songwriter”.

Live music giant AEG Live has preferred bidder status to buy HMV’s live music business the MAMA Group, according to the Daily Mail. Although final details of the deal are to be confirmed, the paper says the global venue owner and tour promoter is now favourite to acquire the MAA business, generating HMV in the region of £65 million, to help cut back the flagging retailer’s estimated £180 million in debts.

It’s thought AEG Live will take complete ownership of MAMA, at least initially. As previously reported, there was speculation that the live major would only be interested in the bigger of the MAMA Group’s venues, in particular the Hammersmith Apollo, and the rest of the live business might be sold to a different buyer, or be subject to management buy out.

If it does take ownership of the whole MAMA Group, it will be interesting to see what AEG will do with the company, which has core venue and festival divisions as well as a number of periphery units such as The Fly magazine and marketing agencies. As also previously reported, MAMA’s artist management division, SuperVision, has been wound down after key managers opted to leave the group amidst concerns about HMV’s sale of the company.

Sony Music and equity types Oakley Capital were both also bidding for the live firm, though according to the Mail talks are now focusing on AEG Live’s bid.

The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry has welcomed a ruling in the Russian appeal courts which upholds a previous judgement regards the sharing of music over the Russian social networking website vKontakte. In January a lower Russian court said vKontakte did not do enough to stop its users sharing unlicensed music files, and was therefore liable for the copyright infringement its network enabled.

As previously reported, vKontakte is very similar to Facebook, down to its design, colour scheme and many of the social networking tools it offers (indeed, some might call it a straight Facebook rip off), and is big news in Russia and neighbouring countries, where it boasts 110 million registered customers and 33 million users daily.

A number of Western and Russian music companies have criticised vKontakte’s role in facilitating file-sharing, and two sued. The owners of the social networking company insisted they had no control over the actions of their customers, that they published warnings against infringement, and had offered to provide rights owners with the contact details of any users who uploaded unlicensed music. But in January the commercial courts in St Petersburg said that wasn’t enough, and last week an appeals court reached the same conclusion.

Welcoming the appeal ruling, IFPI boss Frances Moore told CMU: “This judgment sends a clear signal to those in Russia that seek to build their businesses on the back of other people’s content. We urge vKontakte to take immediate steps to stop its service being used to infringe copyright on a massive scale. Widespread digital piracy is preventing Russia from developing a thriving legitimate digital music sector and this in turn denies Russian artists a chance of success and starves them of investment by producers”.