AT&T Tech Support 360
November 5, 2000 5:30 PM PST
MP3.com aims for wireless devices
- Related Stories
-
MP3.com to ask court to invalidate copyrights
November 2, 2000 -
MP3.com puts judge in director's chair
October 31, 2000 -
MP3.com, music publishers sound out licensing deal
October 18, 2000 -
Lawmakers want to legalize MP3.com service
September 26, 2000 -
MP3 chief: Company will prevail despite legal storm
September 12, 2000 -
Ruling against MP3.com could cost $118 million
September 6, 2000 -
MP3.com, Sony settle copyright suit
August 22, 2000 -
MP3.com, EMI settle lawsuit with licensing deal
July 28, 2000
The service is made possible through a partnership with FusionOne, which provides the technology to synchronize the audio files.
A song that is downloaded on a personal computer also will automatically appear on that person's mobile phone and other handheld gadgets.
The deal aims to capture the interest of young consumers captivated with online music and all things wireless.
Financial details of the partnership were not available, but as part of the alliance, MP3.com will offer its visitors FusionOne's software for free.
Digital music has taken the Net by storm, as millions of people acquire their favorite songs from files available online. But the wildly popular service has also raised the ire of artists and recording companies, leading to a flurry of lawsuits.
Earlier this year, the Recording Industry Association of America and the Big Five record labels--Sony Music Group, EMI Recorded Music, Bertelsmann?s BMG Entertainment, Time Warner's Warner Music Group and Seagram's Universal Music Group--sued MP3.com, alleging copyright infringement. MP3.com settled with four of the five plaintiffs, but it still faces the prospect of paying Universal as much as $250 million in damages.
MP3.com is trying to distance itself from its legal troubles by expanding its service to wireless devices using only songs approved by the artists and recording industry.
Just last week, Sprint PCS launched a new MP3 service linked with its mobile phones manufactured by Samsung.
San Diego-based MP3.com owns a collection of 600,000 songs and audio files.
Privately held FusionOne is backed by Chase Capital, Flatiron Partners, Nokia Ventures, 3Com Ventures and El Dorado Ventures.
