AOL settles copyright claim

America Online settled a four-year lawsuit with author Harlan Ellison concerning the digital distribution of his works. Ellison's suit had alleged that AOL allowed unauthorized distribution of his writings. The settlement was quietly announced earlier this week. The parties did not release the sum of the settlement.

Ellison originally claimed AOL was responsible for the appearance of his works on Usenet newsgroups, which were accessible through Internet service. A judge in 2002 said AOL was protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but the ruling was partially reversed by an appeals court earlier this year.