Music Publishers Group Sues Lyrics Sites

The National Music Publishers Association has filed copyright infringement lawsuits against two companies, LiveUniverse and Motive Force, for allegedly operating Web sites and applications that offer users free lyrics. The lawsuits, filed this week in federal district courts in California and Pennsylvania, mark the first time the publishers group has taken lyrics sites to court, says President and CEO David Israelite. In its court papers, the publishers organization alleges that the ad-supported sites' unlicensed use of lyrics undermines music publishers' "ability to adapt to the changing marketplace" and also "cheats songwriters out of fair compensation for their creative efforts."