Universal Music Group is sueing Myspace for copyright infringement.

The owners of the site have “made infringement free and easy, turning MySpace videos into a vast virtual warehouse for pirated copies of music videos and songs,” the complaint says. They use “extensive efforts to encourage members to upload pirated videos to MySpace servers.” The site reportedly has more than 50 million unique visitors per month and more than 200,000 new registrations each day.

The complaint includes an example of a MySpace page showing a pirated video of “Beautiful Day” by UMG artist U2. It was viewed more than 2,000 times according to the site, the suit says.

“Businesses that seek to trade off on our content, and the hard work of our artists and songwriters, shouldn’t be free to do so without permission and without fairly compensating the content creators,” a UMPG spokesperson said in a statement. “Our music and videos play a key role in building the communities that have created hundreds of millions of dollars of value for the owners of MySpace. Our goal is not to inhibit the creation of these communities, but to ensure that our rights and those of our artists are recognized.”

The suit, filed in the federal District Court in Los Angeles, includes claims for direct copyright infringement, secondary copyright infringement and deceptive business practices.

• Shows to check out:
  My Favorite Highway – Nov 17 Jammin Java, VA
• Check out the new track Fire Away from Kill the Alarm. For more information email Veken.
• Poison The Well has signed with Ferret. Poison the Well released two albums with the label Trustkill and recently departed from Atlantic.

Check out unsigned South Carolina act Leslie a three piece rock act in the lines of Jet, The Who, Wolfmother. Currently getting some spins for their song “Sick” on 96.1 WAVF – program director Dave Rossi is a huge fan. Performed on Nov 1 @ Sin-E in NY, NY for the ASCAP showcase for CMJ and in October @ Atlantis Music Conference. Touring the southeast for the remainder of the Fall and into the Spring. Have toured with Blue Dogs, Will Hoge, Limbeck, and Valient Thorr among others. Just recorded 3 new songs with Eric Bass (The Working Title, Tyler Read) that are available for free download at www.myspace.com/leslierock.

Upcoming hometown show on Nov 18 @ Windjammer in Charleston, SC (show is sponsored by 96.1 WAVF). For more information contact manager Josh Terry -864.907.9523 or or Legal Reid Hunter – 212.245.7300.

• Clear Channel agrees to $19 billion takeover…
  Clear Channel has agreed to be acquired for about $18.7 billion by an investment group. Clear Channel also said it plans to sell 448 of its radio stations, all located outside the top 100 markets, as well as its 42-station television group, which are also located in smaller markets. Clear Channel has instituted several measures to try to win listeners back, including cutting back on the number of commercials.

Too late to win back listeners, many kids tuned out and too late to win them back. It’s amazing Clear Channel didn’t see the brick wall, so instead they ran into it head first.

• Rock band Faktion has been dropped by Roadrunner.
• Moby on CNN..
  The Scene: What do you love most about New York?
  Moby: New York without Central Park would be like some big terrifying Asian city thatdoesn’t breathe. No city planner would ever think of building it now – a park that’s five miles by one mile of the most expensive real estate in the world

• The Most Digitally Advanced Music Company?
  Control Room, a digital entertainment specialist, announced a deal with Universal Music Group, which would give Control Room the right to stream live concerts of UMG artists. The deal is the latest in a string of digital agreements involving Universal Music, which is challenging Warner Music Group for the not-yet-established Grammy category of Most Digitally Advanced Music Company.
• Many insiders feel that Elton John’s anti religion speeches is severely effecting his carreer and fan base. His unsuccessful 2004 studio album, “Peachtree Road” is on of his lowest-selling albums of all time
• UPDATE: Clear Channel sale auction down to the wire…
• EMI Posts First Half Net Loss
  EMI Group has reported a first-half net loss of $57.9 million, which it says is due to a soft album release schedule in the first half of the fiscal year, ended September 30

Check out the new track Always Something from California alternative band
I Hate Kate. For more information contact Justin Maximov.