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Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

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copyright infringement against MP3.com, based <strong>on</strong> MP3.com’s new “My.MP3” service. 108According to <strong>the</strong> complaint, this service allowed users to gain access through <strong>the</strong> <strong>Internet</strong>, anddownload digital copies of, commercial CDs, using <strong>on</strong>e of two comp<strong>on</strong>ent services:“Instant Listening Service” – Under this service, a user could place an order for a commercialCD through <strong>on</strong>e of several <strong>on</strong>line CD retailers cooperating with MP3.com, and <strong>the</strong>n immediatelyhave access to <strong>the</strong> s<strong>on</strong>g tracks <strong>on</strong> that CD stored <strong>on</strong> an MP3.com server, before arrival of <strong>the</strong>shipment of <strong>the</strong> physical CD ordered by <strong>the</strong> user. 109“Beam-it” – Under this service, a user could insert a commercial CD or a copy <strong>the</strong>reof(authorized or unauthorized) into his or her computer CD-ROM drive. If <strong>the</strong> MP3.com serverwas able to recognize <strong>the</strong> CD, <strong>the</strong> user was <strong>the</strong>n given access to <strong>the</strong> s<strong>on</strong>g tracks c<strong>on</strong>tained <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong>CD stored <strong>on</strong> an MP3.com server. 110In order to offer <strong>the</strong> My.MP3 service, MP3.com purchased and copied <strong>the</strong> tracks fromseveral tens of thousands of commercial CDs <strong>on</strong>to its servers. 111 When users accessed soundrecordings through My.MP3, it was <strong>the</strong>se reproducti<strong>on</strong>s made by MP3.com that were accessed,and not any copies made from <strong>the</strong> users’ own CD. 112 The plaintiffs sought a ruling that <strong>the</strong>copying of <strong>the</strong> commercial CDs <strong>on</strong>to <strong>the</strong> MP3.com servers c<strong>on</strong>stituted willful infringement of<strong>the</strong> copyright rights of <strong>the</strong> plaintiffs.The case raised <strong>the</strong> very interesting issue of whe<strong>the</strong>r, assuming that users who are <strong>the</strong>owners of a lawful copy of a CD could lawfully upload a copy <strong>the</strong>reof to an MP3.com server for<strong>the</strong>ir own private use under Secti<strong>on</strong> 1008 113 of <strong>the</strong> Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 114 orunder <strong>the</strong> fair use doctrine, it should be lawful for MP3.com to assist users in accomplishing that,and, if so, whe<strong>the</strong>r it should be permissible to do so by advance copying of tracks in anticipati<strong>on</strong>of a user ordering or already owning a CD c<strong>on</strong>taining those tracks.The court ruled that <strong>the</strong> copying by MP3.com of <strong>the</strong> commercial CDs made out a primafacie case of direct copyright infringement, 115 and rejected <strong>the</strong> defendant’s asserti<strong>on</strong> that such108109110111112113114115Complaint for <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Infringement, UMG Recordings, Inc. v. MP3.com, Inc., No. 00 Civ. 0472 (S.D.N.Y.Jan. 21, 2000).Id. 4 & App. A.Id.UMG Recordings Inc. v. MP3.com Inc., 92 F. Supp. 2d 349, 350 (S.D.N.Y. 2000).Id.Secti<strong>on</strong> 1008 provides: “No acti<strong>on</strong> may be brought under this title alleging infringement of copyright based <strong>on</strong><strong>the</strong> manufacture, importati<strong>on</strong>, or distributi<strong>on</strong> of a digital audio recording device, a digital audio recordingmedium, an analog recording device, or an analog recording medium, or based <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> n<strong>on</strong>commercial use by ac<strong>on</strong>sumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings.” 17U.S.C. § 1008.Pub. L. No. 102-563, 106 Stat. 4244 (1992).“Thus, although defendant seeks to portray its service as <strong>the</strong> ‘functi<strong>on</strong>al equivalent’ of storing its subscribers’CDs, in actuality defendant is re-playing for <strong>the</strong> subscribers c<strong>on</strong>verted versi<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> recordings it copied,- 38 -

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