Free music streaming service Grooveshark has been found liable of copyright infringement by a New York judge.
Judge Thomas P. Griesa, of the United States District Court in Manhattan, ruled that the company had broken the law by allowing its own employees to upload almost 6,000 copyright songs to the service without permission from rightsholders.
He also stated that Grooveshark had tried to destroy any evidence of its behaviour.
In the ruling, the judge said: ‘By overtly instructing its employees to upload as many files as possible to Grooveshark as a condition of their employment, [parent company] Escape engaged in purposeful conduct with a manifest intent to foster copyright infringement via the Grooveshark service.’
Grooveshark allows users to upload tracks to its servers, meaning the streaming service has a comprehensive music library.
Previously, the service, which is owned by the Escape Media Group, uses ‘safe harbour’ legislation provided by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to protect itself from legal action.
John Rosenberg, a partner at Rosenberg and Giger representing Grooveshark, told new services that the company is contemplating an appeal.
Judge Thomas P. Griesa, of the United States District Court in Manhattan, ruled that the company had broken the law by allowing its own employees to upload almost 6,000 copyright songs to the service without permission from rightsholders.
He also stated that Grooveshark had tried to destroy any evidence of its behaviour.
In the ruling, the judge said: ‘By overtly instructing its employees to upload as many files as possible to Grooveshark as a condition of their employment, [parent company] Escape engaged in purposeful conduct with a manifest intent to foster copyright infringement via the Grooveshark service.’
Grooveshark allows users to upload tracks to its servers, meaning the streaming service has a comprehensive music library.
Previously, the service, which is owned by the Escape Media Group, uses ‘safe harbour’ legislation provided by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to protect itself from legal action.
John Rosenberg, a partner at Rosenberg and Giger representing Grooveshark, told new services that the company is contemplating an appeal.
