National Music Publishers’ Association v. Kazaa

Counsel for the music publisher plaintiffs in the ongoing litigation against the operators of the Kazaa peer-to-peer network informed the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles today that the music publishers have reached an anticipated settlement of the publishers' class action litigation against the operators of the Kazaa peer-to-peer network.

The settlement, reached after months of negotiations, is subject to final approval of the formal agreement by the board of the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA), which sponsored the litigation on the publishers' behalf, the representative class plaintiffs and the court.

Under the terms of the settlement, Kazaa has agreed to pay a substantial sum to compensate music publishers and songwriters for the infringement of musical works on the Kazaa network.

"The anticipated settlement represents an important victory for songwriters, music publishers and music fans alike," said David Israelite, NMPA President and CEO. "It will be another key milestone in the ongoing transformation of the digital music marketplace to one that will allow legal services to thrive."

In June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that unauthorized peer-to-peer networks could be held liable for inducing massive copyright infringement. Earlier this year, the Kazaa defendants settled with the record labels and movie studios and agreed to introduce filtering technologies to end distribution of copyright-infringing files.

About the NMPA

The National Music Publishers' Association is committed to promoting and advancing the interests of music publishers and their songwriting partners. As the trade association for the music publishing industry, NMPA's goal is to foster a business climate that allows its members to thrive creatively and financially. Founded in 1917, NMPA battles for domestic and global protection of copyrights.