Wow, that was quick. When Pink Floyd sued EMI over the label's sale of individual tracks from Floyd albums, everybody thought it would be a long, drawn out court battle. Not so much, as it turns out.
A judge ruled this week that selling downloads of individual tracks violates the band's contract, which prohibits selling tracks "unbundled" from their original albums. EMI argued that the contract applied only to physical albums, not downloads. The judge didn't buy it, ruling that the label is "not entitled to exploit recordings by online distribution or by any other means other than the complete original album without Pink Floyd's consent."
The end result: EMI will have to pay the band's court costs, plus damages and royalties (amounts yet to be determined) and the artistic integrity of Pink Floyd's concept albums (think The Wall, Dark Side Of The Moon) will remain intact.
Photo courtesy Capitol EMI Archives
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