| "Project
Playlist performs and reproduces plaintiffs' valuable works (and induces and enables
others to do so) without any authorisation whatsoever," the RIAA said in
its complaint, "without any compensation whatsoever to plaintiffs."
Representatives
from Playlist refused to comment. Though On the company's website, Project Playlist
says it is "committed to copyright protection" and does not support
illegal copying of music files. "We make it easy for our users to create
a playlist that points to a series of music files hosted on third party Web sites.
We do not control those third party Web sites. We do not host music files."
Companies
that allegedly facilitate the distribution of pirated content have tried to argue
that because they don't host unauthorised files, they don't violate copyright.
But that hasn't stopped the RIAA or the motion-picture industry from filing suit.
It's
unclear why none of the labels belonging to Sony BMG Music Entertainment were
named as plaintiffs. The lawsuit said that some of the artists whose music was
used without authorization are U2, Eminem, Elton John, The Beatles, Coldplay,
and Sheryl Crow. The
nine record labels who have filed the suit are: Warner Music Group Corp's Atlantic
Recording Corp, Elektra Entertainment Group Inc and Warner Bros. Records Inc;
EMI Group Plc's Capitol Records LLC, Priority Records LLC and Virgin Records America
Inc; and the Interscope Records, Motown Record Co LP and UMG Recordings Inc labels
of Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group. | 
