Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/09/29/mp3_com_launches_email_war/

MP3.com launches email war on Congress

Find out how to lobby your political candidate here

By Linda Harrison

Posted in Legal, 29th September 2000 16:36 GMT

MP3.com has launched an email offensive aimed at hassling Congress to let users store and listen to music online.

The company, currently caught up in a wrangle over charges of copyright infringement, will use the "Million Email March" to support a bill introduced this week by three congressional representatives.

If this act (HR5275) gets passed, punters would legally be able to create MP3 files after first showing legal ownership of the CD, and pay no per-listen charge. People could therefore listen to their stored songs in their car or office if and when satellite Internet access becomes widely available. The bill would only apply to music that is sent or streamed, and not downloaded.

The idea of the "march" is to get music listeners to email political candidates and pressure them to support the bill. Details can be found here.

"People buying CDs are the lifeblood of the music industry and they should be permitted to use new technologies that give them exciting ways to access their music," said Michael Robertson, MP3.com chairman and CEO. "We applaud and support elected officials and those seeking office who are working to give consumers access to the music they have purchased, anywhere and anytime."

Earlier this month Universal said it wanted $450 million in damages from MP3.com. ®

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