Kazaa settles lawsuit for $10 million

November 1st, 2006

New York, NY - Kazaa, the file-sharing network, has reportedly agreed to settle a major copyright infringement lawsuit for $10 million.

The suit was filed by the National Music Publishers' Association and alleged that Kazaa illegally distributed copyrighted materials, the New York Times reported.

Previously Kazaa, operated by Sharman Networks of Australia, settled two similar copyright lawsuits for $115 million.

National Music Publishers' Association executive David Israelite said the financial compensation awarded by the court, which has not been officially confirmed, marks another victory in the war against illegal file-sharing online.

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

The paper said the court decision, that is pending approval from all involved parties, allows Kazaa to continue effort to become a legal online file-sharing business.

Source: © UPI News