MUMBAI: Sony Music has decided to sue a Swedish music fan for $233,000, accusing him of leaking an early copy of ‘Single Ladies’ singer Beyonce‘s most recent album 4 which was released on 24 June 2011.
According to reports, the unnamed 47-year-old man from Gothenburg shared a copy of the album on 8 June 2011 and is believed to work in the music industry.
Sony music has filed papers in Gothenburg District Court and claims that they were affected badly by the leak, including damage to their marketing strategy and sales revenues. They further claimed that the leak damaged their relationship with Beyoncé and her reputation was significantly hurt.
As per reports, music industry figures claim pre-release leaks are the most damaging form of piracy, an opinion that judges have agreed with in the past. This won't be the first time that Sony has faced such a issue.
Currently, Beyonce is getting herself ready for her April and May world tour throughout UK and Ireland.