Grooveshark is closing down after settling copyright infringement lawsuits. The music streaming service was founded by Josh Greenberg and Sam Tarantino in 2010. It grew to more than 1 billion sound files per month. It even had its own online radio station app. The lawsuits forced the company to settle for less than $1 million. However, it is not clear whether the lawsuits have any lasting effect on the music streaming service.
Music streaming service Grooveshark shuttered after settling copyright infringement lawsuits
The settlement between labels and grooveshark marks the end of a major source of copyright infringement. The online music service allegedly infringed on thousands of copyrights and could have owed up to $736 million in damages. The company is no longer offering its services, which means the music industry will be hoping for new users to move to licensed streaming services.
The dispute stems from a case in which Universal Music Group sued Grooveshark in New York State court. The record labels argued that because the songs were recorded before 1972, they did not fall under the protection of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which was passed in 1998. The DMCA allows websites to host user-uploaded content but forces them to remove infringing material postinghub.
The company’s CEO, Justin Tarantino, has said that he regarded most of his employees as friends. While the company has struggled financially over the past year, Tarantino is confident that the company’s revenue will be comparable to the amount it earned in the first quarter of 2012. As a result, he is putting all his resources into addressing the negative press image the company had earned.
Founded by Josh Greenberg and Sam Tarantino
In May 2010, Grooveshark went public and boasted over one billion sound files streamed monthly. It contained over 15 million tracks and over 20 million users. Users could search for songs by artist, album, and song title, or browse their friends’ recent activity to find new music to stream. They could also subscribe to other users’ playlists and share them with friends through e-mail. They could listen to radio stations of particular genres and populate them with user lists thoptvnews.
Two days later, the girlfriend of Josh Greenberg, who co-founded Grooveshark, found him dead. Josh was 28 years old. He was found dead in his Florida apartment. There were no signs of drugs, alcohol, or foul play, according to his girlfriend. His death is still under investigation. The girlfriend of the deceased was the only person to find him.
Streamed over 1 billion sound files per month
Streaming music on the web is becoming increasingly popular, and one of the most popular music websites, Grooveshark, is no different. As a community of music lovers, you’ll find millions of songs to enjoy on Grooveshark. The site offers a great user experience, with over one billion sound files added to its database every month. You can search for your favorite songs by name or browse the playlists of friends or follow them on social networks magazinemania.
While Grooveshark’s reliance on copyright law is important, it has run into trouble with the law. The company recently received a lawsuit filed by EMI, the largest record label in the world. It is unclear if Grooveshark will continue to operate. A court ruling is expected soon, but it’s not clear how long it will last.
Developed an online radio station app
Before Grooveshark closed down, there was a website similar to Spotify that allowed users to curate playlists and stream songs. The site hosted over 1 billion sound files each month, and boasted over 20 million users. You could search for music by artist, song, or album, or browse your friends’ recent activity. You could also subscribe to other users’ playlists, send them through e-mail, or listen to radio stations dedicated to certain genres newsbench. You could also populate your own stations with your own song lists or other user-generated playlists.
Conclusion
As you may be aware, Grooveshark shut down was the culmination of legal action by record companies, including Sony, Warner, and Universal. The companies were sued for violating copyright agreements and were facing a hefty fine of $736 million. Despite being able to defend itself by saying that they did not violate any agreements, it could be forced to pay the labels $736 million in damages newsstock.
