EasyGroup to launch music downloads with Wippit
- Added:
- Sep 17, 2004
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of EasyGroup, said he intends to launch the service in the coming weeks.
"EasyMusic.com":http://www.easyMusic.com will re-sell the Wippit’s catalogue of nearly 200,000 songs from such labels as EMI, Sony-BMG and independent labels.
easyMusic.com will sell tracks in two sections. The “Copyleft” service will feature music from unsigned artists, including music which can be downloaded for free. The “Copyright” service will offer current tracks and back catalogue starting at 25p a track. Due to licensing restrictions not all songs can be sold in all territories.
Last year Haji-Ioannou lost a copyright infringement case against the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for allowing customers of his EasyInternetCafe chain to download free music off the Internet and burn them onto CDs for £5.
Haji-Ioannou's Internet cafe chain agreed to pay the BPI £210,000 in damages and legal costs in the settlement.
Haji-Ioannou said: "EasyMusic will offer free or best value music downloads to consumers in all Countries. EasyMusic's agreement with Wippit means that easyMusic.com will cater to an even greater range of consumers' musical tastes."
Wippit will provide the platform for the Copyright half of the service and is responsible for sourcing content to make available to easyMusic customers.
