Music companies Sony, Warner and Universal are suing Pandora

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Streaming music service Pandora is being sued by record companies Sony, Warner and Universal. They state that while federal law does not require Pandora to pay royalties on pre-1972 music, certain US state laws do.

The companies argue that Pandora should pay for songs like “Hey Jude” by The Beatles and “I Got You” by James Brown as well as more recent music from the companies. According to the companies, Pandora is responsible for millions in lost revenue, according to The New York Times. A Pandora representative said the company is “confident in its legal position and looks forward to a speedy resolution of the matter.”

The United States passed a federal copyright law in 1972. That means that all music produced from that point on is covered by that copyright law and Pandora has to pay royalties on it to the copyright holders, whatever the company does. However, before this nationwide copyright law was enacted, a number of US states drafted their own copyright laws. Likewise in New York State. That is what the companies are now relying on.

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