General

Pink Floyd takes EMI to court over online royalties

Breakdown of albums into individual tracks among key concerns

Music fans have for years bemoaned the demise of the conventional album, as downloading (whether legal or not) has broken down records, which were meant to be listened to in sequence, into singular tracks. So too have musicians—not all of whom are willing to concede to this new reality without a fight. British classic rock group Pink Floyd is taking issue with the breakdown of their albums, among other things, in a court action against EMI. The case, launched before a High Court in England, concerns the calculation of online royalties, as well as EMI’s “entitlement to sell individual tracks, or indeed any tracks, otherwise than in the original configuration of the Pink Floyd albums,” says Robert Howe, the lawyer acting on behalf of the group. As legions of devout fans would attest, their Dark Side of the Moon, released in 1973, is, without question, an album that was intended to be listened to in its entirety.

Telegraph

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.